Shiromukuro
by RecklessXBeauty
Summary: The year is 2021. Yukina, along with Sophie and a crew of new friends, embark to Chi-1 Sagittarius to help fight alongside Kennosuke and a resistance to stop Efy Dolgh's galaxy invasions. With lives on the line, Yukina will stop at nothing to be reunited with the one she loves. Will her resolve be strong enough? Will Kennosuke still love the woman she's become?
1. Chapter 1

_Warm greetings my fellow readers._

 _This is my first fanfic ever. I've done a lot of writing over the years but have never published anything._

 _Like most of you, I didn't want it to end at episode 26 and decided to write my own adaptation of what's to become. I apologize now if the characters likeness is not quite what you expected, writing a story of well established characters is a bit of a challenge for me, so please have patience and offer me positive insight for future chapters. If you would like future chapters, reviews would be awesome, and to let me know that this is something you're enjoying. So, without further ado, I bring you the first chapter of Shiromukuro. Enjoy!_

* * *

September 2021

Less than twenty-four hours ago, goodbyes were said. Tears had been shed after she was locked safely in her new boarding room. Sure, she was excited to finally set out to find Kennosuke, but she was leaving everything she knew behind, and most everyone. That was especially hard.

Yukina had finished unpacking and was laying haphazardly on the bed, exhausted. Eyes closed and right arm covering her eyes, she thought of nothing else except of Kennosuke. Her left hand clutched the small vile of Kennosukes' blood that Dr. Hausen had given her. The dark red liquid a symbol of hope. It meant he was still alive.

A ringing sound could be heard in her 200 square foot cabin room, a generous size considering how many rooms were aboard the 'Kurobe Survey Space Shuttle One' spaceship. Giving a short sigh, she searched for the ringing sound. Across the small room and near the door was a lit up panel. A communication device. Upon closer inspection she saw Sophie Noel's face on the screen. "Incoming call from Sophie Noel" the device called out.

Below the screen were a few buttons. They were color coated Green, Red and Blue. Assuming the green was for accepting the call, Yukina pressed it hesitantly.

"Yukina, if you're finished unpacking, we are expected at the bridge's meeting room. Captain wants to meet us and to introduce ourselves to the staff." Her facial expression was stoic and her request showed no room to argue. As much as she wanted a few moments to finally control her thoughts, leaving Earth and setting out closer to their destination was more important at the moment.

"You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?" Yukina asked boldly, giving her room a quick glance to see if she missed something as important as the ships layout.

"See you in ten." Sophie's face disappeared from the panel and Yukina stared back at her dark reflection, shocked.

"You'd think after five years you'd show a little common decency..." she muttered under her breath. Sophie hadn't changed at all, even though their bond grew due to their circumstances. After all, Mika Ogino would always be her best friend, but these last five years pushed them down different paths. Sophie and Yukina just happened to be heading down the same one.

It took a few minutes but she located the map plastered on the wall of her room. Berating herself for being so unaware, she peered closely at the map. A small list of destinations with a picture was most helpful. The flight deck was at the very top, labeled 1. Figuring she'd memorize the map later, she quickly headed out of the room.

"Oof!" she mumbled after bumping into a person standing just outside her room. "I didn't hear you knock." Regaining her balance, she turned sharp eyes to the new, and tall, figure.

"Ah, apologies, Miss, but here is your Identification card. This gives you access to floors that are otherwise known to be off limits for those who do not have security clearance." A gentleman not much older than her held out a laminated card with her picture and information on it. A bit dazed, she carefully grabbed the card with both hands and stared. As if boarding the ship wasn't official enough.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I'll be taking you to the Captain. You can call me Alex." His broad smile was charming and it seemed sincere enough. His dark hair and eyes complimented his strong facial features. He gave a small salute and headed towards the elevator.

Deciding the blue uniform wearing man was the most helpful person at the moment, Yukina followed suit. "Excuse me, Alex, but other than your name what is it you do?"

"I see you get your inquisition from your mother. I'm the Operations Officer aboard the KSO. You'll see me around, managing the day-to-day operations aboard the ship as well as managing cargo we receive from ports."

"Ports? I know Mars is a waypoint, but I didn't think we'd make other stops." Yukina glanced thoughtfully towards the ceiling, her steps slowing. Though recent, NASA was able to reach and land on Mars, creating a base of operations there. Even though it was all new and in developement, she couldn't imagine NASA had reached much further than that in the last five years.

"That's information the Captain and a select few know about. Ever since the Efi Dorg's arrival, our advancement in technology has improved tenfold. In other words, what would have taken us ten years of research has happened in one." Alex pressed the up button upon reaching the elevators. He turned, giving Yukina a cheeky smile. "While your studies were more focused on nanomachines, we've been able to expand beyond our solar system. That is, of course, thanks to Zell and his data."

"I see..." slightly overwhelmed, Yukina decided to not ask any more questions and instead kept quiet. Alex gave a hearty laugh and entered inside the elevator that dinged open, keeping his hand over the door to prevent it from closing on her.

"Like I said, we have time to discuss all this later with the Captain. Even as second-mate, I'm not all privy to the details. With America lending a huge hand in this, they tend to keep secrets." Upon hitting the "one" button, an automated voiced called out,

" ** _Please. Scan. ID._** "

"In order to reach the bridge, we must use our ID card to gain clearance. That Red square framing your picture gives you clearance to any and all floors. The bar code below your picture is scanned to verify your identification." He pulled out his card and flashed it to the red screen. A happy chirp rung out and then,

" ** _Alex. Conrad. Confirmed_** ," a slight pause then, " ** _Second. Guest. Please. Scan. ID._** "

Impressed, Yukina flashed her own ID card to the red glowing panel and heard the same happy chirp.

" ** _Yukina. Shirahane. Confirmed._** " The panel returned to a black screen and the elevator began making its climb to floor one. Fast and efficient, they reached the floor with no further chit-chat and headed towards a room that would contain the ships most elite crew. Upon entering, Yukina immediately sought out Sophie. It didn't take long, only a few people were already here.

"Sophie!" Yukina exclaimed, claiming the seat next to hers. Sebastian appeared then and handed them both a bottle of water. Thanking Sebastian, she didn't waste any time to quench her thirst. Now if there was anything to eat...

"What do you suppose Kennosuke is up to right now?" Sophie asked bluntly, setting aside the bottle of water. Her violet eyes peering into her own blue eyes. If Yukina didn't know any better, she'd say this was the first time Sophie brought him up since he left.

Her heart ached.

"No doubt causing Zell and Muetta trouble. I mean, his actions here on Earth were trouble enough. If he hasn't knocked a few heads by now..." her gaze now roamed off to the side, her thoughts of Kennosuke taking her to a whole new place. Absentmindedly, her left hand clutched the vile of blood.

Sophie continued to stare and wait for any more thoughts to be voiced. Seeing as how Yukina continued to stare longingly off into the distance, she knew no further explanation was coming. _Shame_.

Yukina often dreamed of their reunion. She told herself she'd be happy when she saw him. They would run into one another's arms and share an embraced filled kiss. But on the days she was sad she would give him a good punch in the face! Honestly, there were only three words she wanted nothing more than to hear in the entire world from him.

"Bring me coffee!" Was heard just outside the door and seconds later a woman with striking features came walking in. With silver braided hair tied into a bun and green eyes perusing the room, she had everyone's eyes on her. The aura she gave off screamed authority and demanded attention. She reminded her of a fox. Could she be their Commander? "It would seem the Captain has yet to arrive."

 _Or not._

The unidentified woman headed towards the chair at the head of the table and stood just to the left of it. The maroon uniform she was wearing complimented her features very well, but not quite sure about her attitude.

Yukina opened her mouth to ask Sophie a question but she gave a small shake of her head, discouraging her. Letting out a small sigh and rotating her chair in the other direction, she took notice that Alex sat down beside her, his warm smile easing her nerves. _Was he always this happy?_

"Atten-tion!" The silver-haired fox called out, raising her right hand to a salute. Yukina bolted out of her chair at the command, feeling slightly guilty that Alex's smile made her miss Kennosuke even more. Although they looked nothing alike, she was missing the subtle looks and sheepish grins he would give her.

A man in his mid-to-late fifties came strolling in with a few people strutting in behind, one of them was holding a cup of coffee. Said coffee was quickly delivered. The authoritative woman actually cracked a smile. She'll have to remember that.

"At ease, everyone." The blonde haired commander said in a gravelly tone. Taking the seat at the head of the table, he sat and gestured everyone to do the same. _His traits looked quite familiar..._

"I believe introductions are in order. Now that we're aboard the KSO, short for Kurobe Space Shuttle One, we are the few who are authorized personnel on board and faces we'll be seeing quite often." He looked around the table, noticing a few eyes were roaming over the others. "I'm Captain Mark Borden, a retired member of MI6." That would explain the accent he had. But wait, did he just say-

"Excuse me, but, you wouldn't happen to be related at all to Tom Borden?" Yukina interrupted, getting a glare from who she assumed was the Captains second-in-command. Flashbacks of his ruthless combat training came flooding in and a look of terror flashed across her face. If Yukina wasn't so distracted, she would have noticed the small smirk Sophie gave her.

"Ah, that would be my nephew. Loud mouth that brat is. Glad my son never turned out like him. Speaking of which, where is he?" Borden turned and gave the silver haired woman behind him a slight frown.

"He has another matter to attend to, sir. I believe I debriefed you on the matter earlier."

"Right, right." Turning back and facing everyone he continued, "This here is Adelina Grave, she is the Executive Officer and in command when I am not available. She was top of her military class back in the America's and we are glad she has decided to grace us with her expertise."

Yukina wasn't so sure about that. The woman made her uneasy.

"Next we have Alex Conrad, our Operations Officer. You'll see him more often than not, as he'll be receiving daily reports from you all. He'll be assigning a structured and timed schedule for when you're to report to him. It's a good thing he's a decent looking fellow." The captain gave a hearty laugh at his joke. Others joined in, albeit hesitantly.

"Thank you, Captain." Alex actually had a small tinge of pink upon his cheeks. Compliments made him awkward, it would seem. Yukina smiled to herself. How would Kennosuke react to such a comment? Had she ever given one to him? She glanced down to the red liquid filled tube. Alex took notice.

"Riku Hamishi is our ships Navigator. Most likely wont see him but remember his name." A man sitting to the right of the captain gave a slight nod of his head. He was around her height and appeared slightly younger than the commander.

"Thirdly, there's Olivia Munche, who's our communications technician. Any and all communication including Earth to ports will go through her. If you receive any news, deliver it to her for her verification. This is extremely important, for communication is key." He gestured to a dark haired and light eyed woman with glasses. Her smile was comforting.

"Sophie Noel is our combat leader pilot for the newly developed GUAS 3's. Training will be held daily, with Sebastian as our strategy expert. He'll be teaching classes when you're not training. Although most of you have your own roles to play, being prepared is just as important." The two of them gave a curt nod, keeping a formal composure. Sophie had dedicated everything in the last five years to be in this position. After Zell turned down her offer of becoming a wearer, she trained and studied day and night to become worthy. She had her sights on becoming Medusa's pilot upon their return.

"Augustine Moreau is our Chief medical officer on board and our biochemistry expert. His staff are one of the finest in the country and are eagerly ready to study any extraterrestial lifeforms we come by. Alive, of course." Another hearty laugh followed by weary chuckles. An older man to the left of the Captain gave a wave of his hand. Sophie seemed to sit straighter in her chair at the mention of him. Most likely he was from her country and recognized him by name.

"Lastly, our Chief Researcher, Yukina Shirahane." All eyes turned towards her and she felt slightly uncomfortable under the scrutiny. By being a wearer, and with the help of her mother and Efi Dolg's technology, they were able to develop geoframes similar to the Black Relic. Being left behind that fateful day, she decided at that moment that she would follow in her mother's footsteps. This was the best way to reach Kennosuke, she thought.

"I've been following your research, miss Yukina, and I'm astounded by your work, and at such a young age I might add." Doctor Moreau commented, his eyes inquisitive. Was it possible he wanted to study her like Doctor Hausen wanted to? A chill ran down her spine.

"My mother should mostly be getting the praise. Although I've helped further her research, I've been studying nano machines and it's structures. I can now-"

"Accept a compliment when it's given, Yukina." Sophie interrupted and returned her eyes to the commander. Yukina frowned and realized her introduction was now over. Her recent discovery would most likely fall on deaf ears.

"These are for your eyes only. Take these back to your rooms and study it. Please keep this in the safe provided in your quarters when not perusing." Adelina began handing out a decent sized manila folder labeled "Top Secret" to everyone.

Yukina was tempted to open it now but noticed no one else had the same curiosity.

"This room, along with the sleeping quarters, are not audio and visually taped. Every where else is cataloged and sent to computer specialists to ensure our safety. So keep that in mind when you need to bring up confidential information. As you are all aware, everyone aboard has the understanding that this could possibly be a one way trip." Captain Borden stood, donning a hat Yukina just now noticed he had.

One by one, officers around the table stood, hand raising to a salute. Yukina did the same. As grimm as the statement was, she couldn't help but interject.

"Forgive me for saying, Commander, but I won't let this ship go down. Finding and fighting alongside Kennosuke to defeat the Efi Dolgs is my goal. I plan on bringing him home and marrying the brute."

"See that you do, Director. The fate of this ship is in your hands." Giving a perfect salute, the Captain took his leave, followed by the rest of the crew.

Yukina continued to stand silently and alone in the room. Tossing the folder on to the table, she crumpled into the chair, tears forming in her eyes. If anyone had said that to her five years ago, she would have never left home. Kennosuke wasn't the only one depending on her, the entire crew was.

Deciding wallowing wasn't doing her any good, she wiped the tears from her eyes and left. She would never want Kennosuke to see her in such a pitiful mood. With folder clutched in hands, she headed towards the elevator and back to her room to go over its contents. She knew this trip wasn't a leisurely one, but it would seem her days were going to be very busy. She had high hopes though, she was one step closer to seeing Kennosuke.

After shortly arriving to her room, knocking could be heard. Yukina felt physically and emotionally drained at the moment and really didn't want visitors. Splashing some water on her face, she grabbed a small cloth and wiped herself dry while heading towards the door.

"This better be important-" Yukina began saying while opening the door to reveal Sophie. She could feel her shoulders hunch. "If it isn't Sophie. Done reading your file already?" Opening the door wider, she gestured for her to enter. Sophie continued to stand where she was, her facial features in a more relaxing position.

"Not here for a social visit. We're to head to the hangar." Short and to the point as always, Sophie took off. Yukina groaned and followed.

"If this is about the training session, I have my own work I need to start first." They both flashed their ID cards to the elevator panel and began their descent to the hangar.

"Alex will be giving us our weekly schedules in the next week. We'll go about our own work until then, but that's not why we're going to the hangar." Sophie turned towards her and gave a small smile. "We've worked really hard over the years and I must say that I am excited for the both of us." Surprised by her comment, Yukina kept quiet, hoping for more insight to her thoughts. "We both have our reasons for this mission, but I often thought of you and your reunion with Kennosuke. He'd be proud of the woman you've become." The doors opened then and Sophie stepped out. Yukina smiled to herself and wondered how she knew she needed to hear those exact words.

Hangar 5 was a large and open space. It contained a couple dozen of the new GAUS 3 geoframes. Luckily, pilots were not in short supply. Yukina couldn't help but gaze in awe at the sight. Mouth open in wonder, she watched as workers buzzed about, heard commands being given and gazed at the newly promoted pilots undergoing training.

"Beauty, ain't it?" A male voice whispered in her ear from behind. Startled, Yukina jumped forward and gave a scared shout. Caught completely off guard, she turned to reprimand the culprit. When she locked eyes on him, she felt like she'd faint.

"Y-You're-!" If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was Tom Borden. His blonde hair was a bit longer and appeared messier, and his eyes were more of a grey, but she could swear-

"Name's Jake. You're probably thinking why a handsome bloke like me looks similar to that yankee, Tom. We're cousins. Our father's are twins, it's why we look so similar." British like his father, the Captain, he gave an exaggerated bow, almost mocking their custom. Although they looked a lot alike, Jake appeared taller and of bigger build. Military, most likely. Were all Borden men like this?

"It's a good thing you didn't faint, Yukina, I'd hate to have you dragged back to your room." Sophie chimed in. Yukina didn't appreciate what she assumed was a weight comment and puffed her cheeks out at her. _Rude!_

"A gentlemen like me would never drag a lady. But carrying a woman off would be a sign of courtship." Jake gave Yukina a charming wink. What day and age did he live in? Ignoring his charm, Yukina shrugged him off and returned her attention to Sophie.

"Honestly, if you _dragged_ me here for this ridiculous show, consider me unimpressed." Arms now crossed, she waited for Sophie to break out laughing and talk about how they would both laugh at this later. Neither happened.

"Jake is here to show you your new geoframe. He's the chief officer of the engineering department." Sophie began heading towards a much larger object that was well hidden beneath a black tarp. Now curious, she followed.

"But my mother and I already designed-"

"That was never meant for you." Sophie cut her off. They reached the desired position and she gestured towards someone far off in the distance.

"If the one we designed isn't meant for me, then who is it for?" It suddenly dawned on her that it would be Sophie. Feeling like she was stabbed in the back, Yukina turned on hot heels and began to walk away. _The nerve!_ She knew her mother was mostly against the whole idea but to include Sophie on her little scheme?

"It was never meant for you because your mother wanted you to have this," Sophie called out, her voice taking a sharper tone. Yukina came to a stop and turned just in time to see the tarp being removed to reveal a most magnificent geoframe. She felt her heart skip a beat and she was left breathless. But then,

"Honestly, what was she thinking making it white?" Yukina gave a half laugh and half cry at the absurdity of it all. She couldn't believe her own mother pulled this off without her knowing. She missed her more than ever at that moment. It also reminded her of the black relic, and how much she missed being Kennosuke's navigator. Did he like having Muetta as a navigator? Was she more proficient? _Were they..._

A hard pat on the back by Jake gave her the courage she needed to step closer and inspect her new geoframe. And rid her of her own jealous thoughts.

"Beauty, ain't it?" Jake said proudly.

"I believe you've already said that..." Breathless, Yukina raised a shaking hand to touch the cool metal. Standing at 19m high, it looked like a force to be reckoned with. Trying to take it all in, she opened her mouth to ask a question when Captain Borden came up.

"I was hoping to be here when they revealed your new geoframe, the **_Shiromukuro_**. I was also hoping to introduce you to your new pilot." Clearing his throat, he clasped his hands behind his back and gave her a warm smile.

"Pilot? I thought-"

"Your mother and I made an agreement. She would design this for you if you had a pilot. She didn't want you to handle it alone. Besides, she knows how much you despise fighting."

"It's not the fighting that bothers me per say..."

"Even able to design solo-piloting, she knew you would need help. Your talent lies in recon. Being the pilots navigator also gives you a clearer conscience."

"My _sensibilities_ isn't the concern. These last five years did not go to waste. I'm perfectly capable of piloting my own frame."

"Unfortunately, that isn't possible. Your nanomachine channel is already connected to this one. And so is your pilots."

"Fine." Yukina pressed both her index and middle fingers to her temples, massaging them lightly. "Who is this pilot?"

"I believe you've already met him. My son, Jake." The commander said proudly.

 _ **Noooooo!**_ Her mind screamed and she looked at Jake in sheer terror.


	2. Chapter 2

**_September 2021_**

 ** _Week 2_**

It has been a week since finding out Jake Borden would be the pilot of the geoframe, Shiromukuro, or White Relic. Yukina Shirahane would be his navigator. That still didn't sit well with her.

She had no one to blame but her mother. It surprised her, really, considering her qualities in a mother were quite lacking. Hiromi Shirahane sure chose the wrong time to be a mother, she thought.

Yukina sat at a small desk inside her boarding room, going over the file she was given a week ago at the meet-and-greet. True to Captain Borden's words, she didn't see much of any body except for Alex this past week. She thought they would become good friends, actually, considering they were a lot alike.

The documents in the folder contained information of their destinations, such as Mars and a couple fuel stations that were meticulously placed to help them reach their destination. Detailed information on what was called "hyper jump" was explained through out as well. Zelleager Vishrai, the ogre, had told them their destination was 220 light years away, but thanks to Earth's own research, they've discovered a wormhole they could use to reach Chi-1 Sagittarius.

Thankfully, getting there wasn't her problem to figure out. Fighting the Efi Dolg was.

Included in the file were past notes of the Efi Dolg's attacks and detailed information on their 'grongols'. She had already gone over those dozens of times in the past to further her research. Along with those notes were possible war tactics and their own frames designs. She was most curious about the Shiromukuro's.

She laid out the blueprints, examining each part carefully. Sleek, elegant, and more humanoid looking than the Black Relic, the _Shiromukuro_ was built for speed and close hand-to-hand and acrobatic combat. It was also equipped with a lot of weapons. Looking over a new page, she saw close up designs of both the arms and hands.

Both the arms armor could retract and be replaced with long blades, best for close combat. The armored fingers could sharpen and use plasma particles to cut through any metal. There were rockets in the elbows that would also help land punches quickly and efficiently.

Next page showed other weaponry options, such as shoulder mounted guns that could release a variety of attacks, like smoke screens, rockets, and particle-beam blasts. Lastly, it wielded twin blades on its back made of obsidian metal. Sharp and nearly indestructible, it'd be the most common weapon to use to take out enemies.

Yukina sighed then after going through everything, leaning back in her chair and placing a pencil between her nose and upper lip, trying to keep its balance. She sat that way for awhile, replaying the moment she became separated from Kennosuke. It never got easier. All she could do was cry out to him, completely helpless. She also couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions for why he decided to leave.

Regret. Proud. Anger. Hope. Hate. Love...

She struggled every day to hang on to that last emotion. Never having been in love before, she didn't think it would be this difficult. Then again, Kennosuke wasn't your average man.

Giving a light chuckle at the fun memories they did share, she grabbed her necklace with her left hand, giving it a tight squeeze. Today, she was feeling love.

Still reminiscing, she almost didn't hear someone knocking at her door. With pencil falling to the floor, Yukina placed the front two legs of the chair back down to the ground and shuffled a few papers around, acting as though she was busy.

"Come in!" She called out and was really hoping it wouldn't be any Borden's today. Not like she should have any grudge towards them, but Tom Borden sort of ruined that with his training from hell routines.

"Pardon the intrusion, Yukina, but I have your schedule for the following month." Alex came striding in, holding a folder. He placed said folder in front of her that had her name on it. "Have you read the file that we were given last week?" His usual smile in place. With no other chair in the room, he decided to lean against the door, hands in pockets.

"I just got done perusing it." Yukina picked the pencil that she dropped off of the floor and opened the folder Alex gave her. She expected to be working most of her days doing research and designing, but was a little shocked to see she would be undergoing training sessions a few days out of the week. At least she had one day out of the week as a personal day..

"Sophie's idea to keep you in top shape before we arrive to help Kennosuke." Alex read her mind. "She also wants you and Jake to train together. Can't go into battle blindly without knowing your partners strengths and weaknesses." A small shrug of his shoulders.

"Or to torture me." She groaned and noticed that tomorrow she had their first simulation training. Slamming the folder shut she stood, heading towards a small kitchenette. "Tea?" She grabbed a couple cups from a cabinet and set them aside, grabbing a couple tea bags and placing them inside. Next, she grabbed a tea pot and filled it with water to boil.

"I couldn't help but notice your necklace last week at the meeting. It looks important to you."

"It is. It lets me know Kenosuke's safe for the time being." With back facing him, she placed the pot on the single burner. Alex waited to hear more.

"I had someone like that back home," he said after there was a drawn out pause. "Other than trying to do the long distance thing, our goals had changed. We decided to go our separate ways."

"That's not exactly-" A sharp knock on the door interrupted her. Alex took the liberty of opening the door to reveal Sophie.

"I see you're busy.." Sophie gave Alex a quick once over and raised a questioning brow to Yukina.

"Just come in, we're having tea. He also dropped off my schedule which, by the way, thank you for ruining half this trip for me." Yukina grabbed another cup from the cabinet and placed a tea bag in.

"Nonsense, you were the top of my class years ago, it's a shame you went on to pursue other... talents." Sophie stepped in, taking a seat in the only chair in the room.

After a few quiet minutes, the pot began to whistle and Yukina took it off the burner, pouring the hot water into the three cups.

"Alex was just retelling his love story to me," Yukina gave him a goofy smile and he suddenly blushed, looking awkward.

"N-no, it was several years ago, nothing that, er, important." Alex took the cup of tea happily and began sipping, avoiding Sophie's curious gaze.

"I just came to make sure you received your orders. Looking forward to tomorrow." Sophie stood, setting the undrank tea aside. Yukina gave her a glare.

A knock on her door cut the tension that was slowly building between the two. Alex gladly opened it.

"If it isn't Olivia. Surprised to see you not at your station." Alex stepped aside to let her in. It was beginning to feel crowded.. Yukina went and grabbed another cup.

"She can have mine, I'm just leaving." Sophie started to leave but Olivia stopped her.

"I'm glad you three are here. I came to drop off your communication devices." Olivia shuffled around in her bag that was strapped over her shoulder. "Sorry it took so long but I had a couple finishing touches to add. And no tea for me, thank you." Yukina grumbled under her breath and put the cup back in the cabinet. Olivia handed them each a circular, palm sized gadget. The screen was black at the moment, but with a touch of a button on the side, the screen lit up.

"Each of them are designed to work for you alone. For privacy and security reasons. Although you can give it an access code for emergencies, it'll never be compromised." Olivia said happily. Yukina fiddled with it, thinking there were pros and cons to this idea...

"Can you show us how it works?"

"It can be touch or voice activated, just say the name you'd like to place a call to and it'll connect you directly. Everyone who has a device is already programmed in, just bring up the phone book option and you can see who has one. It also has GPS and can track every where you go. Oh! It can also track your heart rate and blood pressure and send out an SOS if you're ever in danger." Olivia said proudly.

"So all I have to do is say, 'Call Jake Borden'" Sophie said and the device lit up and began making the ringing sound.

"What are you doing?" Yukina tried to grab the device to shut it off. She knew Sophie was trying to irk her.

"Ah, he's next on my list, he hasn't received his yet. You're more than welcome to tag along with me." Olivia looked both at Sophie and Yukina, a twinkle in her eye. Sophie cancelled the call.

"Not interested. Alex and I have other work matters to discuss, don't we Alex?" Yukina gave Alex a pointed stare. He looked confused for a moment but then understood what she was implying.

"Right, matters of work to... talk about. You two go on ahead, we'll catch up later." Alex opened the door to the room again and gave a small wave of his hand to gesture them out.

"It was nice seeing you two. I'd say to take care of the devices but it's nearly indestructible." With a wave, Olivia and Sophie left, but not without Sophie giving her a smirk.

"What was that earlier?" Yukina said after Alex closed the door. Hands on hips, she looked at him curiously.

"What was what?" It took him a moment to realize she was asking about him and Sophie. "I get nervous around.. well, to be honest I-" he clammed up.

"You like her, don't you?" Yukina laughed and brought her warm tea to the desk, sitting in the chair. Alex set his aside and placed his hands on the table, leaning forward.

"If you know, then don't say anything! It's bad enough I'm a little intimidated by her, but I don't think she'd go for a guy like me." He frowned while she waved her right hand carelessly.

"You don't know Sophie like I do. She's spent all these years pining for a man like Kennosuke. I know exactly the type she likes and while you don't exactly fit that description, with my help, I can get her to notice you." A confident drink of her tea, she watched Alex think it over.

"I can't just change who I am. Besides, this was part of the problem with my last relationship." Arms now crossed, he went back to leaning against the door.

"Let me handle a few things while you stand by. If Sophie is anything, it's predictable." Giving a wide grin, Alex was beginning to regret recruiting her help..

* * *

 ** _The Next Day..._**

"You two will be undergoing a fighting simulation. We'll be testing your cooperation and endurance. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask." Sophie said over the intercom to the simulation room. The room itself was a decent size, containing the simulated two-manned pod. Inside the pod was an exact layout of a geoframe. Jake and Yukina were already seat belted into their seats with their helmets connected to cords that would send them to their virtual training scene.

"Question. When do I get to train by myself?" Yukina called out, already annoyed with the situation.

"From now on you two will be training together. The future fight depends on your compatibility."

"And if we're not compatible?" Yukina said smugly. A short pause meant a small victory for her.

"Our research says otherwise," Sophie snapped back and continued, "assuming you're done stalling, we will begin." She cut off her connection and the machine started up.

"Don't worry luv, I've done hundreds of fight simulations, we'll be fine." Jake called out, hitting a few buttons and pressing the simulated Mech forward upon startup.

"Don't call me 'love'" Yukina grumbled out and began her own preparations. A holographic screen popped up, giving her detailed information of their virtual world.

They started off in a barren land, sand and dirt being their grounds layout and in several directions there were a few rock formations. They were pretty much left out in the open.

"We're clear of any enemies at the moment," after a few touches and swipes, Yukina looked past her screen and around at their environment. "It does say a few hundred yards away is a small village. Let's head there."

"We'll avoid any place that would have life forms. We don't want to draw attention to it." Jake said, heading in the opposite direction.

"Or we make sure it hasn't been attacked. What if they need help?"

"We wouldn't be able to help, we'd call it in to the support team."

"Kennosuke wouldn't ignore my request." Yukina said in a sharp tone. Jake chose to ignore her remark. A couple minutes went by without a hitch until-

"Incoming headless. 100 meters east, and closing in fast!" Yukina called out, taking note that it was coming from the direction of the village.

Jake turned the mech around, drawing out a long sword and preparing them in a defensive stance.

"80 meters... 60 meters... 40 meters... Two more headless are showing up, one from the west and one north. 300 and 500 meters out!" Yukina looked down at Jake who continued to remain calm. Red alerts kept popping on her screen and she began to feel overwhelmed.

Deciding there were more incoming threats, Jake moved forward, going from a steady walk to a fast sprint. They met the enemy from the east first. The headless raised both sword arms and were going to swing down when Jake maneuvered to the right, slashing the headless across it's chest until it split in two.

"100 meters and 400 meters, one is slowing down and changing directions, it's-" more alerts were flashing across the screen and she tried to focus on the previous ones.

"It's what?" Jake called out, heading towards the one coming from the north.

"Head towards the village! A dozen of the cactus showed up, they're surrounding the village, we have to-!"

"Calm down, Yukina. You won't be of any help if you're frantic."

"Frantic? Kennosuke wouldn't be arguing about saving a village!" Alerts upon alerts with red flashes started to pile one over the other until she couldn't take it any more.

With a frustrated yell, she tore the helmet off, sending the machine into the emergency shut off mode. Without waiting for outside help, she opened the door to exit the pod and gave another angry sigh.

"Yukina, wait!" Jake called out, tearing his own helmet off and chasing after her.

She was angrily ripping off sensors they strapped to her arms and grew more exasperated with each rip.

"I can't be your navigator, I'm not ready to ride with someone other than Kennosuke." She didn't dare face him for she'd start balling her eyes out. Thinking she was past all this, she grew angry at herself for imagining Kennosuke in Jake's place. Piloting again brought up memories she decided to bury for awhile.

"It's more than just that. Besides, it's not your fault. With more training, you and I will be able to sync with one another."

"That's just it! I don't want to sync with you, or any one else for that matter! Don't you get that?" Yukina turned to face him, tears on the verge of spilling.

The two weren't aware that everyone, including Sophie, kept a watchful eye on them. No one seemed inclined to interrupt, either. Sophie's finger continued to press the two way communication channel, not wanting to miss anything.

"I understand that you've put the man you love on this high pedestal, shoes that no other person, or man for that matter, can fill. We get it. You're hurt by what my cousin did, and for Kennosuke leaving, but I'm here to help. You must have realized by now that you can't do it alone." Jake had finished taking off his own sensors and crossed his arms.

Yukina closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

"You're right. But you'll never be as good a pilot as Kennosuke." She reopened her eyes and suddenly regretted what she said. Jake's usual blue eyes took on a steely grey color and his arms that were crossed were now by his side, hands clenched into tight fists.

"I dare you to say that name again," he said through gritted teeth. A small gulp from Yukina could be heard. Did she dare bait him? She sure as hell wasn't about to let him intimidate her though!

"Kennosuke is-" She was cut off almost immediately. Jake had closed the small gap between them, swiftly moving his right hand behind her head and pulling it towards his own bent head, giving her a rough and chaste kiss. Certainly not meant to be sensual.

" _Now_ say that name again," he growled out, his eyes piercing through her own for a second. Jake didn't wait for her reaction and instead brushed past her, leaving her breathless and confused. Sophie had to cut off the two-way connection before they could hear the shocked gasps inside the control room.

Sophie even looked surprised, and slightly upset, at what just happened. She ignored Jake who came in and out angrily, slamming doors behind him. All she could do at the moment was look down at Yukina who had crumpled to the ground to cry. With a small sigh she gestured for everyone in the room to leave as she went to console her friend. It would seem Jake Borden was more than he appeared to be, and she was beginning to doubt the research they'd done. And her own feelings towards the man.


	3. Chapter 3

_**September 2021**_

 _ **Week Two - Day Four**_

Yukina couldn't stop thinking about Jake's kiss. She felt awful, almost sick to her stomach just thinking about it. Worse, it was her first kiss! She always imagined her first kiss would be with Kennosuke. Afterall, she often dreamed about it. But a kiss from Jake? Ugh.

Working only half the day, Yukina snuck out of her research office and back to her room where she kept the lights off and covered herself with pillows and blankets.

Sophie tried her hardest to comfort her the other day, but that made her feel worse. Word would spread and she'd become the laughing stock of the KSO. That made her snug deeper in the sheets. Eventually falling asleep to the daydream of kissing Kennosuke, Yukina was startled awake by a ringing tone. It was coming from her new communication device.

" ** _Message from Sophie. Accept?"_**

Years ago Yukina would have loved the attention Sophie was giving her, but right now... not so much.

"Accept.." Yukina muttered after poking her head out from under the sheets. A hologram of Sophie appeared.

" _Don't forget tomorrow is combat training. Also, eat something. You've been looking pale. See you in the morning."_

Sophie's image disappeared and Yukina couldn't help but childishly stick her tongue out at it.

" ** _Message deleted."_**

Turning so she was laying flat on her back and staring at the ceiling, Yukina gave a loud exhale of breath. The last person she wanted to see in the morning was Jake Borden. But she had no choice. Suddenly, an idea popped in her head and she gave herself a confident smirk. She'd give him just what he deserved...

* * *

 ** _September 2021_**

 ** _Week 2 - Day Five_**

Yukina, along with a few small groups of women, were getting ready for their combat training that morning in a designated women's locker room. She could hear the murmurs and whispers of the women and had a feeling they were talking about her. She chose to ignore it, wrapping her hands with training tape and placing fingerless, padded gloves on. Afterwards she began pinning her hair back when Sophie walked in, shouting for the other women to head out.

"I got your message, are you sure about this?" Sophie waited for everyone to leave before approaching her. Yukina was a little surprised to see Sophie concerned.

"Are you not confident in my capabilities? After all, you've continued to train me over the years." Yukina finished getting ready and with open arms silently asked for her approval. Sophie gave a small nod. All the women wore similar workout outfits, which was basically a maroon colored training tank and knee length training tights.

"Are you planning on wearing that?" Sophie gestured towards the necklace and Yukina grasped it softly.

"I never take it off, but you're right." Yukina tucked it in safely to her tank and straightened her shoulders. She was ready to face Jake.

Walking out of the locker room and onto the training floor, all the men and women were mingling among themselves, waiting for the session to begin. Upon appearing though, the room fell to a hush and everyone took their places beside the open floor training ring, men on one side and women on the other. The number of men was far larger than women, Yukina noticed.

But straight across the ring she saw Jake, stretching. Their eyes locked and she didn't dare look away. She kept following Sophie who stopped at the center of the ring, turning so she made sure she had everyone's attention.

"First up will be Yukina Shirahane and Jake Borden." Sophie shouted, giving Yukina a quick glance to make sure she wasn't going to back out. Yukina kept her gaze on Jake who seemed stunned by what was happening. Sophie stepped to the side as Jake made his way over, disregarding the whispers he heard among the other pilots.

"You both know the rules, and no knock outs."

"I really don't think-" Jake began but Yukina cut him off.

"Don't worry, ' _luv_ ,' I've done hundreds of combat training sessions, you'll be fine," Yukina mocked and held out a hand to shake before beginning. Still hesitant, Jake gave Sophie one last look before removing his shirt.

"That's not necessary," Yukina stammered, an awkward blush tinging her cheeks. With Yukina caught off guard, Jake grasped her hand firmly and smiled, seeming overly confident all of a sudden.

Using their grasped right hands as leverage, Yukina slammed her left elbow down onto his arm, causing them to release and begin her onslaught. With surprise as her advantage, she gave him a hard blow to the stomach, hearing his breath escape unexpectedly. Jake swung his right arm and she ducked, swiping her leg to knock him off his feet. No go. Springing back up she used a lock and control move to deflect Jake's next punch, using his forward momentum to land a swift knee to the gut.

Both the men and women around the ring shouted their encouragements, some placing bets.

Yukina raised both arms, hands held tight to slam down on his head when he lunged, grabbing her around the waist and taking her down. Both struggling to wrestle over the other, Yukina ended up on bottom, Jake pinning her arms down but had difficulty pinning her legs with his own. Deciding the only way to end this quickly, she brought her right leg up to her chest and angled it just right to hit his groin, pressing hard until he caved, rolling off. All the men around the ring groaned along with him.

As Jake rolled left and onto his back clutching himself, Yukina flung her left arm over, making contact with his stomach once again. Continuing her momentum, she rolled so she was straddling him, swinging her right arm with precision and connecting her fist with his face. Her final blow before Sophie blew her whistle.

" _Now_ we're even." Yukina murmured in Jake's ear, standing and placing a foot on his chest and raising her arms victoriously. Jake moaned.

Slow clapping could be heard and everyone's excitement died down. Adelina Grave made her way across the room and stopped short in front of Yukina and Jake. With a quirked brow directed at Jake, Adelina slowly shifted her attention to Yukina.

"Captain wants to speak to you two. Now." Giving both of them a sympathetic look, she turned and left.

"Pilots, partner up! We'll begin with parrying. Go!" Sophie blew a whistle and dismissed Jake and Yukina from the ring. It took a minute for Jake to recover..

They walked awkwardly side by side, heading out of the room and towards the elevators. After flashing their ID cards, they both stood opposite of one another, avoiding eye contact. Yukina stood with right hand clutching her left arm and Jake leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed. He apparently recovers quickly. She now thought how her blows to his stomach were rock solid. Although his pretty face will have a nice bruise tomorrow.

"You could have put a shirt back on," Yukina sounded annoyed.

"Women prefer it off." He opened one eye and gave her grin.

"Hah, I find it hilarious that you think you're so irresistible." Hands now on hips she shot back a scowl.

"You're acting like a shrew. Has anyone ever told you that you need to unwind and have some fun?" Jake pressed himself off the wall and stood towering over her.

"Forgive me for not falling for your _whimsical_ charms. That must really hurt your ego."

"Is that what you think this is about? Luv, you're not exactly my type."

"Then we don't have a problem." Yukina stepped off the elevator and headed towards the meeting room she went to on their first day aboard. Upon entering the room, Captain Borden and Officer Grave were already waiting for them. The captain gestured for them to sit which they did so promptly.

"I've read the report on what happened the other day during the fight simulation." He gave his son a pointed look.

"Father, I can-"

"That's Captain to you, officer," he slammed a fist on the table, "Yukina, it would seem my son has made an error in judgement and therefore has been suspended from piloting the Shiromukuro. Sophie will let you know within the next week who your new pilot will be. In the meantime, I hope you will accept my sincere apology for officer Borden's actions." If a glare could kill a man, Jake Borden would _be_ said man.

"Captain, if I may say, I have already forgiven officer Borden. He made a mistake and I made sure to return the favor tenfold. We just happened to have a minor, _miscommunication_ , but I do believe we have cleared the air, so to speak." Or the lack of, she thought, remembering how breathless her knee to the stomach left him. "I've also decided to give officer Borden another chance. This is for Kennosuke's sake, and if research has shown that we are the best fighting team, then I'll accept it." Yukina stood, giving the captain a salute, hoping her words have persuaded him to change his mind. His demeanor was still stiff and not giving anything away. Jake on the other hand was easier to read, he was hopeful.

Adelina whispered something into the captain's ear and he cracked a smile.

"Well said, Yukina. I leave my rascal of a son to you then. _But,_ if something like this happens again, you'll both pay the price." He stood, returning the salute and giving his son one last challenging look before leaving. Adelina gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and a sly smile before leaving as well.

"Thank you, Yukina."

"We have a lot of work to do. We'll need to be ready in eight months time, that's the estimated period it'll take to reach Chi-1 Sagittarius." She held out a hand for him to shake and to finally move past their differences. Without hesitating, he grasped her delicate hand with his callused one.

"Deal. Let's go save your boyfriend."

"He needs help, not saving." Yukina gave his upper arm a good punch and she laughed as he feigned pain.

"Right, help." He laughed and they both headed back down to continue their training.

* * *

 _ **October 2021**_

The first month has come and gone and everyone has fallen into a strict regime. Yukina and Jake still have a lot of work to do with synchronizing together to pilot the Shiromukuro. As excellent a pilot as Jake is, Yukina still struggles with the navigating work load. Sophie hasn't made it any easier for her, either. She's testing her stress levels and might possibly be going about it the wrong way. Yukina couldn't help notice how she acts around Jake either.

Yukina hasn't forgotten about Alex, and trying to get Sophie to notice him. She's tried a few times to get them together conspicuously but it always seemed like someone or something kept interrupting each opportunity. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, but vowed she wouldn't give up. Alex wished he had her dedication...

When Yukina wasn't busy training, she was in her research office and lab, working on upgrading her new tech. She had designed a small, palm sized, levitating artificial intelligence bot. She named him Mars, and he's designed to detect life forms and incoming hostile threats. A couple other attributes he was equipped with were sending video feedback, hacking into nearby transmissions and a signal jammier. He'd be most helpful once they'd reach the surface of Zell's planet if Kennosuke and the others were still there, or there at all.

With her final designs complete, Mars was now fully functioning. Back on Earth and with her design, multiple 'Mars' were being developed for future purposes. It might even one day be programmed to be a common household item.

"Mars, report." Yukina said after disconnecting the bot from its charging pod. It's spherical form floated up and a small beam of light appeared, as if it were an eye.

" ** _Scanning_** ," a few second pause, then, " ** _Report. Detecting 800 lifeforms aboard. Levels: Normal. Threat: None_**."

"Excellent," she held out her hands together and the bot floated down, resting happily in her warm palms. A sharp knock sounded on her door. "Come in!"

"I've come to receive your report for the month- wow, look at that." Alex came striding in, holding a few report files from the other officers and directors. He set them down on her desk and took a closer peek at the device that went to greet him.

"This is Mars, he's what I've been doing my research and study for for the last five years." Mars floated up and turned its black frame to face Alex.

" ** _Hello, Alex Conrad_**." Mars cheerfully chimed out.

"He knows who I am?" Alex was impressed and took a closer peek, trying to poke at it. Mars evaded his touch and circled around him.

"He has facial recognition. I programmed every one that is on board into his system, that way when he does scans aboard the ship, he can detect if anyone is missing or if there is an enemy among us." Yukina clasped her hands together and gave him a wide smile.

"You are an amazing woman, Yukina. Kennosuke is lucky to have such a dedicated woman to look out for him." Alex stopped trying to pester Mars and picked up his files once more.

"He is, isn't he?" Yukina rummaged through her desk and found the file she was looking for and gave it to Alex. "Hey, I've come up with our next plan to get you and Sophie together."

"I, uh, would love to hear it but I got to get going. Maybe later, kay?" Alex gave a wave and adjusted the multiple files he was carrying before leaving in a rush. Yukina sighed and leaned against her workstation. Maybe it was just her, but she thought Alex was avoiding the Sophie topic lately. Mars floated nearby.

" _ **You're sad. What is wrong?**_ "

"A lot of things, my new friend. But you and I have more work to do. Let's get to it!" Yukina took Mars to her lab and begun finishing the other prototypes, hoping to have them completed in time.

* * *

While Yukina was busy working in her lab, Sophie had dismissed the pilots for the day and went in search of Jake Borden. While she hated to admit it, she actually liked the fellow. While he was no samurai, his combat and piloting skills were one of the top five in the world. Even though his duties on board were more engineering than being a test pilot, she got to watch him personally on the days he trained with Yukina. He was every bit as lethal as a samurai. He would certainly give Kennosuke a run for his money, she thought.

"Jake!" Sophie stepped off the elevator to the geoframe hangar and spotted him right away. She gave a high wave and realized at the last second that that sort of action wasn't her style. She was always sharp minded and collected and never missish. She mentally face palmed.

"Hey Sophie," Jake handed off a clipboard to a much smaller and younger kid. His glasses and greasy hair giving him a wild, yet approachable look. The kid, who she discovered was his second in command engineer, was named Merik.

"I was hoping we could grab something to eat and go over some training tactics." Sophie watched Merik disappear while Jake gave her his full attention. His blue eyes stood out from all the grease and grime after working on the frames. A man who certainly didn't mind getting his hands dirty.

He raised a brow.

"Let me just get cleaned up and I'll meet you there." _There_ being the general cafeteria available for the ships crew.

"Great, see you in an hour then?" Sophie waved again and took off.

Upon reaching her room she looked down at her flight suit and decided to change into something more flattering. A dress, perhaps? Or was that trying too hard? Did she want to give off the impression she was definitely into him? Ack, too many questions. She was going through her small closet when Sebastian knocked and entered her room.

"Miss Sophie, I've brought you the training exercises you asked for." He set a folder aside and watched, confused, at Sophie shuffling around.

"Thank you Sebastian, that'll be all."

"Yes, miss Sophie. Might I ask what you're looking for? Perhaps I can help."

"What do you think, this dress or this blouse and skirt?"

Sebastian's confused look turned into a shocked one. Then slightly upset.

"I don't see what they-"

"Which one?"

"The blouse and skirt?"

"Great, I'll wear the dress." Tossing the other outfit aside, she gestured for Sebastian to leave. At a complete loss, Sebastian had no choice but to be shooed out of the room, the door slamming behind him. He stood there for a moment and wondered what had gotten into her. Shrugging, he took off, passing a muttering Alex along the way.

Alex reached Sophie's boarding room door and raised a hand to knock on her door but paused. He straightened his dark blue uniform out and decided he was as good as he was going to get. Clearing his throat he proceeded to knock on her door.

"I'm busy, come back later!" He heard her shout through the door and then the sound of something crashing followed by a curse.

"It's Alex! I missed you earlier on getting the report. I was hoping we could-" The door opened then and Sophie stood there, dressed in a dark green dress that complimented her blonde hair and violet eyes. Alex was taken aback, certainly not expecting her dressed so formally.

"Oh, hey Alex, I'm actually in a hurry, can we talk later?" he saw she held a folder in her hand as she slipped by, closing the door behind her. He watched her glide off, his jaw slacking. He ran his right hand through his dark hair, frustrated. It would seem Yukina's help was definitely needed.

Sophie berated herself for running fifteen minutes behind and was hoping he didn't think she was standing him up. Slapping the folder in her hand impatiently, she cursed the slow elevator. It made a couple stops along the way to pick up other passengers and she got cursory glances. Now she began feeling self conscience.

Finally reaching the floor, she waited for everyone to leave first before smoothing out her dress and making sure her coiffed hair was in place. Satisfied,she stepped out and headed towards the cafeteria that tried to take on a more restaurant atmosphere.

It was crowded and full of conversations and laughs. Thankfully she wasn't too overdressed and notice other people were out of uniform and wearing casual outfits. She stood for a moment, eyes grazing over the crowd until she spotted Jake. It took only a second to realize he was surrounded by a group of women, vying for his attention.

As she drew closer she could overhear him retelling one of his stories back home when he was still enlisted for MI6. Trying to grab his attention, he did a double take. He stopped mid-sentence and excused himself. The women gave out unhappy remarks and dispersed, realizing Sophie would have the spotlight.

"If I had known this would turn into a date I would have worn a suit." He grinned. Sophie's cheeks tinged slightly as she raised the folder to eye view.

"Tactics, remember?" He laughed at her comment and gestured for her to follow him. They found a table in a more secluded area, Jake pulling the chair out for her before sitting himself.

"You actually brought it. Here I was thinking it was an excuse to eat with me alone." Another charmed remark, Sophie gave him a sheepish smile.

While their conversation drew away from actual work talk and towards personal ones, Alex had invited Yukina out for some dinner in hopes of getting her advice. They arrived shortly after Sophie and Jake sat down.

"I don't think being subtle is the best way to go about it, Alex." Yukina looked around for a table to sit.

"Neither is pouring my heart out, either." He sighed while browsing over the menu.

"We'll think of something, don't worry." Yukina gave him a sympathetic smile.

"How did Kennosuke confess to you?" That caught her off guard.

"W-well..." she blushed just thinking about it. "He actually asked me to be his wife."

"What?! Let me guess, you just said yes."

"We're not discussing me at the moment, this is about you. Be direct and.." Yukina had trailed off as she saw Sophie and Jake sitting together, laughing.

"What's the matter?" Alex looked up from browsing over the menu and followed her gaze, suddenly looking crestfallen.

"Alex, they're just-"

"It's alright, Yukina. I'm just gonna go." Yukina watched him leave, feeling sad for him. Turning eyes back towards the 'couple,' Yukina went over, about to give them both a bone to pick.

"Well, well, well," Yukina slammed both her hands down on their table top, surprising them both, "Sophie, may I have a word with you in private, please?" Giving Sophie a 'don't-question-me' look, Jake cleared his throat.

"Join us, Yukina, we were just about to order some food."

"No!" Both Yukina and Sophie said at the same time.

"Excuse me, Jake, for just a moment." Sophie grabbed Yukina's arm and dragged her off to the side and out of sight from Jake. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean? This is a very common area to dine at. I should be asking _you_ that question. And with Jake?" Arms crossed, she tapped her foot, waiting for an answer.

"Fine. I like the guy, so what?"

"So what? He's a Borden!"

"You're the one who has a grudge, besides, he's not like Tom at all." Yukina seemed unimpressed by what Sophie said.

"He's not like Kennosuke.. I mean, he doesn't seem like your type at all."

"My type? What do you know what my type is?" Sophie was sounding rather annoyed now.

"Well, I just know a guy, _Alex"_ murmuring his name under her breath she continued, _"_ that would be perfect for you."

"I'm sorry, did you just say _Alex?_ " Sophie laughed and started to head back towards the table but Yukina grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Look, I just didn't know you had any interest in Jake. Keep your options open, that's all." Yukina let go of her arm and started to leave.

"I don't need advice from someone who's still waiting for a man that might never come back to her."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yukina turned back.

"It's been five years, Yukina. He's been with Muetta the whole time, don't you think he might-" Yukina slapped Sophie across the face before she could finish her thought. Yukina opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind at the last second. Jake had now come over and was going to ask what was wrong when Sophie gestured for him to stay silent. They stood for a moment, staring each other down before Yukina finally turned and left. Sophie waited until she left before raising her left hand to her left cheek. It felt warm to the touch and as angry as she wanted to feel, she felt sorrow instead. Sophie had a feeling that the slap wasn't intended for her, truly. Yukina was most likely imagining someone else receiving that slap. But was it for Kennosuke or Muetta?

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Thank you for the few comments! They've been helpful and fun to read._

 _I hope you're still enjoying the story so far and I wanted to let you guys know that I plan on writing the next chapter about Kennosuke and what's going on with their side! So stay posted and any feedback is always welcome. =]_

 _RxB_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I had a couple concerns regarding my story and I want to address a few things to ease their mind. One was why wasn't Yukina using Medusa? I have a couple ideas on what to do about the grongol that some characters aren't aware about. Also, I wanted to keep Yukina's somewhat innocence on the battlefield, for fighting isn't really her strong suit or style. I know five years can change some people but I wanted to keep that part of Yukina pure, if that makes sense. So piloting with someone else helps keep that. (Plus it adds the drama..)_

 _Second is their concern for the love of Yukina and Kennosuke. I definitely plan on keeping their love true and making this story about them but I personally like there to be challenges along the way in order for them to reach that gratifying moment when they reunite. I realize I might be getting somewhat sidetracked with other dramas, such as Sophie and Jake but I think Sophie deserves some spotlight of her own and some insight to her own story. I know my rendition isn't overly thrilling for some but I hope I keep those who do enjoy it on the somewhat roller coaster ride that is Shiromukuro._

 _I hope I cleared up a couple worries and if there are any more, I am more than willing to explain further or will eventually address later in the story. I also hope I have given you an ease of mind that this is, indeed, a love story between Yukina and Kennosuke. But be prepared for future challenges..._

 _RxB_

* * *

 ** _Year 2016_**

Kennosuke Tokisada Ouma, Muetta and Zelleager "Zell" Myundef Vishrai made it safely through the portal. True to Zell's word, there were no Efy Dolgh ships waiting for them.

"Damn!" Kennosuke growled out, hoping there would be someone to fight.

"I hope you have a plan, Kennosuke" Muetta said, continuing to look out for any threats.

Zell floated them through the empty space, silent tears forming as he saw off in the distance his planet. His home. It brought back many memories, both happy and painful ones.

"I don't think landing now would be wise. Like Earth, I'm sure there's a Efy Dolgh ship nearby with one person in command."

"Zell is right. Our best chance is to attack and take over the mother ship, our odds are more favorable."

Kennosuke's hand twitched, itching to ignore their opinions and find someone to thrash.

"Fine. Locate it, Muetta."

"That's hoping we haven't shown up on their radar..." Muetta used the Kuromukuro's navigation and began their search for the nearby spacecraft. Something popped up. "It's far and out of sight, but if we use the Crow's cloaking device, we should be able to approach it undetected."

"That's hoping they're not looking for a threat," Kennosuke grumbled and ordered Zell to follow Muetta's coordinates to the mothership.

"Are you alright?" Muetta asked after a long period of silence.

"I'm ready to fight."

"That's not what I meant." Muetta didn't explain further.

"I'll see her again," was all Kennosuke could say, not wanting to think about leaving her behind at the moment. His focus was on fighting the Efy Dolgh. And if he really thought about it, his heart would ache more.

"Enough talk, we're close." Zell said over their connection, flying hard and fast towards the mothership.

Just as foreboding as the one near Earth, this ship was 1,140 meters high and 1,000 meters wide. Using the planets gravity, the mothership strayed nearby. Upon their approach, however, the bottom began to open.

"Stop!" Muetta called out and Zell flew them around a few circles and then hovered for a moment.

"Has it detected us?" Kennosuke sounded somewhat hopeful.

All three watched, as two 'headless' were shot down and headed towards the planet. The door closed.

"That's our way in." Muetta said.

"We can't wait forever for them to open it." Kennosuke said impatiently.

"We can't exactly let them know we're here by attacking it. Surprise needs to be on our side." Muetta gave Kennouske a small kick to the head. He grasped the back of his head, turning and giving her a glare. She was acting like Yukina.

"Muetta is right. They may have patrols. We'll wait for the next one to open."

"What are their numbers aboard?" Kennosuke asked Muetta.

"If it's like the one I was on, 90 spacecrafts, dozens of headless and cacti's. Uncertain about their grongols."

"We'll need to do our best to not destroy too many. Same goes for the headless and their grongols, if there are any. We can reprogram them and use them to our advantage for the bigger fight." Zell called out, floating them closer and waiting for their opportunity.

"You're asking too much," Kennosuke barked out.

"Good news is, if Lefil's words are true, there may only be one in command. With the planet being 85% taken, there's no need for multiple 'frontier reform officers'." Muetta said, not realizing her words would hurt Zell a bit. With his planet completely dominated, his hopes of saving those who were influenced grew smaller.

"Once inside, Zell, head for the control room and send out a transmission in the hopes a nearby ally intercepts it and heads here to help. We can't head down by ourselves." Muetta commanded.

"Leave the commander to me, then." Kennosuke used his right hand to land a punch into his left palm. He was brimming with excitement to face an enemy. Muetta looked down at him, straight faced. She couldn't help but admire his confidence. She had her own doubts about their plan.

While they continued to talk strategy, they waited hours for their opportunity. With the help of Muetta's knowledge of the ships layout, they would head for the command room, where the one in charge would most likely be and take out the one in charge while sending out a message at the same time. That's hoping they wouldn't have to take out any threats along the way, if necessary.

"Here we go," Muetta said as the door began opening. Zell began their advancement as more headless were shot down. The door stayed open for a moment and slowly began closing.

"Zell!" Kennosuke cried out, unsure whether they were going to make it in time.

"Brace for impact!" Zell said, flying faster. Brushing past the ships doors, they banged against the inner walls a couple times as Zell tried to slow their burst of speed down. They continued flying up the narrow tunnel until they reached the hangar.

"Drop us, we'll run from here." Kennosuke pulled out Kuromukuro's sword and landed with a loud thud before taking off running.

"Let's hurry. Head straight, then it'll be to your second left." Muetta pulled up their surrounding layouts.

On the way to the command room, they passed multiple sleeping frames. None of them waking for a fight. So far so good.

"Incoming threat, one headless."

"Let's do this!" Kennosuke shouted and met the headless that had turned from a nearby hallway, striking him down effortlessly. Zell had past them overhead, continuing forward.

A warning sound could now be head throughout the ship. Striking the headless down must have triggered a response.

"Multiple threats, coming from behind. Zell, we'll stay behind and handle these, continue to the command room."

"Good luck," Zell said and headed away.

"Just what I was hoping for." Kennosuke turned the Black Relic around and headed towards the oncoming mob.

"Don't damage them too much." Muetta called out, Kennosuke giving her a hearty laugh that didn't reassure her at all.

While they fought off the enemies, Zell managed to find his way to the command room. Leaving Crow behind, Zell ran down the narrow hall that eventually opened up into a larger room. Giving a quick glance and not seeing anyone, he immediately ran up to a pedestal that contained all the hologram controls. Bringing up a communication channel, he began writing out his message.

"I thought you would never return," a voice called out. Zell hit one last button before pausing, turning to see an armor wearing figure near the doorway. He was carrying two massive battle axes. Zell withdrew his own heavy sword.

"I've come to save my people and defeat the Efy Dolgh once and for all. Your reign of survival of the fittest ends now." Zell hopped down and prepared to face him.

"Where are the comrades you left with before?" The armored masked figure called out in a smart remark. Zell grew angry.

"Enough of your insolence!" Zell raised his sword and advanced, aiming an attack at his head. The man raised his axes in an 'X' and blocked the strike, pushing him away. He swung them around confidently, stepping forward. Blow by blow they struck at each other, fighting with the intent to kill. Zell hoped Kennosuke and Muetta were finishing up their fight soon...

Kennosuke and Muetta began to slowly retreat to the command room. They were leaving behind a trail of headless and cacti's, some reparable and others not so much.

"There's a problem. Looks like Zell has encountered an enemy. He's faring well at the moment but we'll need to hurry."

"Say no more!" Kennosuke shouted, drawing out his second sword and ending the fights more quickly. The enemy numbers were growing smaller and smaller until there were none left. The Kuromukuro received many blows, but none that were threatening. What nicks it did receive, it was slowly healing due to the nano-machines.

Zell was growing weary to the constant hack and slash, his stamina wearing down. The enemy took notice and took a few hops back.

"How long has it been since we've inhabited your planet? 455 years now? Looks like your losing your fight."

"I'm not losing anything." Zell felt an adrenaline rush to the threat and went on the offensive. He could hear the Kuromukuro approach down the hall.

"Stealing my glory are you?" Kennosuke and Muetta came running in minutes later, swords in hands. They surrounded the armored figure who fell into a defensive stance.

"So you did bring new friends." The man cackled.

Kennosuke started a war cry and began his own attack, samurai sword clashing with the axes. The weight of the axes slowed the larger mans movements down and Kennosuke was able to land a strike, slicing his sword at an angle from bottom to top, he removed the mans helmet off. It clattered to the floor, filling the room with a ringing sound.

An instant later, Zell dropped his sword to the floor, along with himself on his knees.

"This can't be.." He stared at the mirror image of his wife.

"Oh? You recognize this form?" Now sounding more feminine, the figure that looked like Zell's wife laughed.

"Zell, it might be her physical form, but it's not her! Get up!" Muetta shouted, concern etched into her voice.

"I-I can't," doubt was evident, as he continued to stare at the form of his wife. How he missed seeing her, and their daughter. Was it possible their daughter was also...?

"Your downfall!" The woman advanced towards Zell, axes raised. Just as she was swinging them down, Kennosuke and Muetta slid in front of Zell, raising their swords above their heads and blocking the double blow.

"Get up and fight, Zell!" Kennosuke growled under the pressure of the weapons. The woman kept adding strength and they had trouble pushing her off in their position.

Zell was trapped in his own mind, flashbacks of his family blurring by. He _loved_ his wife and child more than anything. Now Efy Dolgh recreated her image and was using her for nefarious ways, as if murdering her wasn't enough.

" **ZELL!"** Both Kennosuke and Muetta screamed, breaking him out of his reverie. With a snarl, Zell picked up his sword and stood. He raised his arms high and swiped his sword down to make the final blow. The woman jumped back at the last second, breaking their weapons embrace.

"Whatever you are, you will pay!" Zell charged, Muetta and Kennosuke following close behind, zigzagging to cause confusion.

"This isn't the end! More will come in due time. All life will fall by our hands. We are the life itself!" The woman realized she wouldn't stand a chance alone and fled the room. She was able to escape in a small emergency spacecraft.

"Damn!" Kennosuke slammed a fist against the wall.

Zell had dropped into a crouch, using his sword as a crutch. Muetta went over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, worry etched across her face.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say at the moment, realizing how hard it must be for him. Seeing the likeness of the one you love for a purpose such as this was surely difficult. Muetta looked over at Kennosuke who kept thrashing about. He went through something similar with both Yukina and herself, thinking they were the lost princess. Apparently his coping methods were a lot different than Zell's...

"She might have gotten away, but that spacecraft will take a long time to reach the Efy Dolgh's awaiting forces. Now that they know there's an alliance forming, their strategy will change." Muetta said and helped Zell stand. He gave her a small nod to let her know he had regained some of his strength back. All three now stood in a small circle.

"We'll join forces, come up with a plan to save all those infected by the parasites and fight back. We'll make sure the Efy Dolgh will be no more."

* * *

 ** _October 2021_**

 ** _The Intergalactic Syndicate Headquarters (previously the Efy Dolgh Mothership)_**

Across the many galaxies, few have come together to stop the tyranny that is the Efy Dolgh. Many have fallen and those who _have_ escaped, lost their way. For hundreds, possibly thousands, of years there have been species used and gone extint by one race who know no bounds.

It will all end soon.

Thus, the Intergalactic Syndicate was born. Those who had sent out transmissions over the years have finally gathered and now have a singular goal; to eliminate the Efy Dolgh.

With many now spread out across the galaxies, there are a select few who have gathered to form the Intergalactic Syndicate council. They are those who have the resources and technology to save the lives that are influenced by the parasites.

Using the Efy Dolgh's barrier to trap the enslaved, a weapon designed to shoot electromagnetic waves will be shot through the ground, creating shock waves that will run through a beings body and would then short circuit the parasites, leaving the hosts unharmed in most cases. In other words, it should feel no more than a light shock.

Five years of research, they knew there would be risks. Some will survive unaffected and others will either be in a state of vegetation or perish all together. They decided their survival outweighed the risks and were prepared to handle what came next. This would be the first time attempting to rid the parasites from their hosts.

Kennosuke, Zell and Muetta couldn't have done all this without the help of the Feng's, Batrin's, Valdirra's, and a few others. With the transmission Zell sent out five years ago, saving millions of lives wouldn't be possible. It wasn't long when they intercepted the array of species who had lost their homes to the same plight and were also looking for those who had escaped.

The Feng's were from a planet called Eswara. They are a bipedal feline species, and are more nomadic creatures. They stand anywhere from five to seven feet tall and their fur range in a variety of colors. Their voices tend to be on a higher note. Their council member is Alra.

The Batrin's home planet is Qasleagantu, and are an ancient race of sapient flying creatures with an appearance reminiscent of a dark green humanoid pterosaur. They have membranous wings, four-fingered hands and an eagle-like beak. They're seven feet tall and are very wise. They speak _telepathically._ Their council member is Bastari.

Lastly the Valdirra's who come from Kutune. A warrior race, the Valdirra's are devilish looking humanoids. Eight feet in height in average, some even reaching ten feet. Their faces are sharp, cunning, near devil-like with a variety style of horns and sharp teeth. Formidable looking, yet calm in demeanor and _**rough**_ in language. Their council member is Ratec.

A meeting is being held soon to drop the weapon, known as SEA, short for Shockwave Emission Arc, and requires able bodies to properly set up and activate it. The gathering will determine who, or what, will be chosen to go down..

* * *

Kennosuke, whose appearance hardly changed, was sharpening his sword in a small room that he had claimed his own. A makeshift bed on the floor and a couple other items made the room appear larger than it actually was. He spent a lot of his time here, sharpening his weapon and thinking of Yukina. A day didn't go by when he didn't think how her dark hair framed her soft face perfectly, or how her eyes sparkled when she yelled at him and lastly how soft her lips looked. That last thought caused the stone to slip from his hands and clatter to the floor. With a heavy sigh, he set his sword aside and laid back, closing his eyes.

"You almost ready?" Kennosuke opened one eye and saw Muetta leaning against the door frame to his room. He hated when she popped in unannounced.

"Has Zell gone ahead?" He opened his other eye and raised himself into a sitting position, laying his sword across his lap.

"He's hoping to whisper some wise words to the council members before the meeting begins." Kennosuke just gave her a small nod and stood, holding his sword more firmly.

"Here's to our future."

* * *

The council members used the same room the previous reform officers sat to discuss their plans. A discussion was already underway when Kennosuke and Muetta entered. Some sat while others stood.

" _We have programmed a select group of headless for this very reason. There would be no casualties on our side if something were to go wrong."_ Bastari could be heard through their thoughts. His wings acted as a cloak, covering his body as he stood.

"I understand your concern, but this is my home planet and people. We have two volunteers, why should we stop them?" Zell looked at each member directly.

"This is much bigger than them. They are of greater use to us with the Black Relic than they are dead- _purr_." Alra's white fur could be seen through the light fabric clothing she wore.

"That is the same reason you have not allowed them to speak as part of the council. I may be an exception as the lone outside survivor of my planet, but the nanomachines do not control them. Efy Dolgh may be using their technology for wrong reasons, but that doesn't mean we can't use the same technology for good ones." Zell countered back and only now glanced at Kennosuke and Muetta who stood behind him. The council members also took notice.

" **We have tested them enough to know that they are not influenced by the Efy Dolgh. As willing participants, they have a say on this matter. This will determine the fate of our own home planets and as successful as this will be, I would be honored if they helped save my own people."** Ratec was in full armor, his head being the only visible part of him. He now turned his attention to Kennosuke and Muetta. **"It is time we heard what they have to say."**

Gesturing for the other open seats, the two slowly sat down, eyeing each one of the council members carefully. None of them spoke out of turn and instead, waited for them to speak.

"This mission will be one step further to destroying the Efy Dolgh. It may seem wise to use their own technology against them, by changing its purpose, but this is still our battle to fight. We must avenge the ones we have already lost and for those we will lose along the way. Let it happen by our own hands and better ourselves for the future fight. That is my way." Kennosuke stood then, tapping his sheathed sword upon the slick floor. He stood small compared to the others in the room but his purpose was much bigger than them physically.

Both Zell and Ratec looked upon him proudly, while Alra and Bastari looked at him unsure. They turned their attention towards Muetta then who stood alongside Kennosuke.

"These last five years have given us every opportunity to turn amongst ourselves and use our own selfish purposes to better the others. We've had many disagreements along the way but we have always found a solution to our problems. But this is one solution that can't favor both sides. Kennosuke and I are prepared to go down with the SEA and activate it. If any problems arise, we will be able to handle it. This is our only chance to make sure everything goes right the first time." Muetta gave her final say on the matter.

"We'll call you back in once we've reached a verdict." Zell stood and directed them out, giving them both an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

It took longer than expected but both Zell and Ratec were able to convince the other two that this was, indeed, the best option to let them manage the operation. They would take full responsibility if anything went wrong. Kennosuke wasn't quite sure what that meant for them, but he wasn't that concerned about it. He was confident that nothing would go wrong.

With Kennosuke and Muetta loaded up in the Kuromukuro, preparations for the SEA and other details were well underway.

"Kennosuke, Muetta, can you hear me?" Zell's voice crackled slightly over their two-way transceiver. Kennosuke felt uncomfortable in the flight suit and hated the helmet even more. It took a lot of resolve to not tear it off his head.

"Ready two." Muetta pulled up her usual screen and checked everything over.

"Ready one." Kennosuke grumbled, feeling slightly ridiculous.

"This is an important day for us all. You know what to do," Zell said and broke their connection. The Kuromokuro was in the process of being placed near the Efy Dolgh's mass driver. Two headless were shot down first and a few minutes later Kuromukuro was next.

Over the years with reprogrammed headless, the Syndicate has been able to slowly influence those affected by the parasites to different orders originally given by the previous commander. While patrolling over the years, they were able to establish an organizational system that would help them in the future. For example, those who were first infected have their pupils fully turned black, the next group have a more grey appearance who were affected long after the first group and finally a third group with a glossy glaze were more recent over the years. Separating them into those three groups and distributing them to different tasks, they're able to administer help to those in need more first and to keep a closer eye.

While restructuring the chain of command, they were also in search of those in hiding, leaving behind a symbol in their language meaning hope. Slowly over the years, they were able to extract those who were of free will on board. With many saved, they had begun their plans for the SEA.

"We'll make contact in one minute. SEA in three. Area is clear," Muetta called out. Kennosuke prepared the Kuromukuro for a better landing position.

"This part never gets easier," Kennosuke said through ground teeth and prepared for the hard landing. The Black Relic crashed into the ground, creating a wide crater. They recovered quickly and moved to the designated location to retrieve the SEA.

"Headless are in position and have set up the first barrier. Once we get a hold of SEA, we'll set it up at the marked location."

Once the shockwave emission arc was retrieved, they began their small journey to the village with the earliest infected. Out of sight, they began the set up.

The weapon was large and weighed tons. An enormous round tank stored the energy needed to distribute the electrical charges while a metal beam below the tank would shoot down into the ground and release the energy, sending it out in waves. The waves could reach hundreds of miles or be contained to a certain area, which is what they planned to perform for the first time. The headless and Kuromukuro would stand on a special plate frame that had been placed on a previous mission and would negate the charges to them.

"Preparations complete. Radioing in to headquarters," Muetta pulled up a screen that showed Zell and the other council members.

"Operation SEA is a go." The council members said in unison. The screen disappeared and Kennosuke entered in a pin code and activated a switch. The tank began circling as he brought the Black Relic to safety not far from the weapon. All they could do at the moment was watch, as the the energy continued to build and the weapon, that stood on structural poles, began to rise in the air, giving the weapon enough distance to puncture the ground with the heavy beam.

Kennosuke watched as the ground beneath one of the poles began to crack under the pressure.

"We have a problem. We need to stop it, now."

"There isn't enough time, the beam will help balance it out,"

Kennosuke ignored Muetta's plea and began moving the Kuromukuro.

"What are you doing?! This is madness, have the headless support it instead!"

"They won't make it in time."

The ground began to crumble and the weapon started to tilt sideways. It had reached its final position and the beam shot into the ground at an angle, just as they reached the pole.

"Emergency switch, hurry!" The round tank began to slow and once it stopped, it would shoot out the waves of electricity.

"Kuromukuro can't reach it, I have to go down."

"It's not safe! Head back to the platform."

"I can make it," opening the cube, Kennosuke tore his helmet off and jumped out and down to the ground. He watched as the tank was coming to a stop just as he reached an emergency shut off button.

It was too late.

The tank stopped and electricity snaked down the beam and crackled to the ground, arcs of energy being sent out in all directions.

"Kennosuke!" Muetta screamed out before Kuromukuro fell sideways, being temporarily immobilized by the attack. The last thing she saw was Kennosuke dropping to his knees and falling face first into the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

**YEAR 2071 - EARTH**

A small group of kids were playing in a grassy and flower-filled field. There were clouds scattered throughout the sky and the sun shone brightly. A light breeze combed through an older woman's grey hair that was tied loosely upon her head. Sitting in a wooden rocking chair, the woman watched the children that played down the hill chase one another, their laughs being carried through the wind. Her lips formed a small smile which soon turned to a frown when she heard someone crying.

Saya, the youngest girl in the group, came running over. She carried in one hand a tattered and rather dirty looking teddy bear and rubbed her teary eyes with the other. The girl dramatically dropped to her knees in front of the old woman.

"Saya, my dear, why are you crying?" The old lady stopped her rocking and bent forward to help wipe the tears from the child's face.

"T-they won't let me p-play." The little girl snorted and hiccuped, rubbing her tear stricken face against the woman's skirt.

"Now, now my dear. Don't you cry over them. Look what I have in my knitting basket." The woman pulled out a flower-shaped cookie. She handed it to the sniffling girl who took it gladly. The woman then brought the child upon her lap and began rocking once more. The girl adjusted her teddy bear in one hand and the cookie in the other.

"Grandmère, can you tell me a story?" Saya took a bite out of her cookie and looked up at her grandmother. She so loved her stories.

"Let me see... have I told you one about the dog and the cat?" Saya scrunched up her nose. "I see I have, then how about the one with a little girl and the wolf?"

"Something new, grandmère." Saya finished her cookie. The older woman looked up at the sky for a moment.

"Then let me tell you a story about a samurai and a girl that he loved, very, very much."

* * *

 **October 2021 - KSO Ship**

It was training day and Yukina was paired up with Sophie. Sophie wasn't taking it easy on her today and Yukina thought part of it was for the other day in the cafeteria. She didn't blame her, though and Yukina wasn't known to overreact and surprised herself that day, even. They hadn't seen one another since, and Yukina thought that the sparring between the two was to let out both their frustrations.

Sophie and Yukina took a break from striking at each other and began to circle one another instead. Sweat was evident on both the women and their breathing was labored.

"It's been awhile." Sophie calmly said.

"I'd say it was overdue." Yukina bit back. They both stopped circling and went on the offensive, blocking one another's strikes.

The other pilots that were training began to watch, unsuredly. If they didn't know any better, they could taste the tension between the two of them.

Jake and Sebastian stopped their sparring for the moment as well and gave one another a weary look. They were silently telling the other to stop the two women before it got out of hand. Neither of them budged.

Trading blocks and blows, Yukina and Sophie were evenly matched at the moment when Sophie suddenly faltered. Yukina used that to her advantage and dealt a strike to the stomach, knocking her down. Giving out a victory breath, Yukina placed her hands on hips and watched as Sophie continued to stare at her, shocked.

"You act surprised that I beat you." Yukina held out a hand for Sophie to grab and to help herself up. A few seconds passed and Yukina gave her an annoyed look when she didn't take it. But her expression turned to concern when she saw Sophie looking down at her chest. Glancing down, Yukina grasped the necklace she always wore and held out the vial that contained Kennosuke's blood. The coloring in her face paled.

The blood that was always a crimson red was now lighter in color, a blush red. Yukina had no idea what that meant.

Without saying a word, she took off towards the elevator. Yukina had begun to reach for her communication device and realized it was back in her locker. She'd have to see the Captain in person. Taking the elevator all the way to the command center, she was about to step off when her path was blocked by two burly men.

"You must have approval before entering the bridge."

"I don't have time, I need to speak to Captain Borden, it's an emergency."

"You must wait here while we-"

"There's no need, let Officer Shirahane pass." Captain Borden walked up then, nodding to both the guard men. They stepped aside to let her through.

"Thank you, Captain." Yukina followed Captain Borden further into the command center room and took notice of how large the area was. Every section of the room was full of technology. It was a little overwhelming. "I need to send out a transmission to Dr. Hausen, something is wrong." Yukina was brought over to Olivia, who had on a headset and was busy typing on her hologram keyboard. A couple minutes passed and Yukina was getting tired of waiting for her to give them her attention. Her hands clutched the vial even more tightly. This could be life or death!

"Sorry for the wait." Olivia turned in her chair and eyed Yukina curiously.

"I must get a hold of Dr. Hausen. Please, connect me to him."

Olivia pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and glanced over to Captain Borden.

"As long as you have approval from the Captain. A two-way transmission can be intercepted by outsiders and pose quite dangerous to us. Now, a message is different-"

"Captain, I must speak to Dr. Hausen right away. Kennosuke's life depends on it. Please, I will take full responsibility." The Captain stared at her, once again his demeanor showing no signs of what he was thinking. Yukina was growing tired and angry of all the waiting.

"Patch her through Olivia. This is for Kennosuke, after all." Yukina broke into a grateful grin and her eyes brimmed with happy tears.

Olivia pressed a button on her headset and began typing quickly on her keyboard.

"This is Officer 6-5-4-8-4-2 aboard KSO to Earth UNKRI officer 4-2-8-7-3-6." A white screen popped up and a moment later Dr. Hausen appeared on the screen. Making contact with earth was much faster than she thought it would be.

"Is that you, Yukina?" Dr. Hausen peered at the screen as if to get a better look.

"Dr. Hausen, no time for pleasantries. I need you to take a look at this-" Yukina brought the vial of blood up to view and waited for the dottor to glance it over. "It was its usual color this morning and just a moment ago it changed to a lighter color. I need you to tell me what that means."

"A lighter color you say?" He now stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair. The doctor was beginning to look haggard over the years. "I've tested the blood on the deceased Efy Dolgh's, who have the same nano-machines you and Kennosuke have, but it has never been that color. I'd say he is still alive but it's hard to say why it has changed appearance without undergoing tests." Yukina let out a shaky breath she didn't know she was holding.

"How certain are you that he's still alive?" The answer to that question was all that mattered.

"Yukina, I don't feel comfortable giving you-"

"Do you personally think he is alive or not?"

"I do."

Yukina let the vial rest peacefully against her chest once more.

"Thank you, doctor." Was all she could say and a weight she didn't know she had, had been lifted. Giving Olivia a curt nod, the transmission was then disconnected.

"If you'd like, I'm sure Dr. Moraue aboard would be more than willing to take a look at it. Run some tests."

"Thank you, Captain, but that won't be necessary. I trust Dr. Hausen and I, too, believe he is still alive." Yukina turned to head back when she stopped, began to give a salute but instead gave the Captain and Olivia a hug. She couldn't tell them at the moment how much this meant to her, and the big risks they took making contact. The two were slightly taken aback by the hug but returned the gesture.

Yukina decided to head back to her room and skip out on the rest of her training day. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was explain herself.

She didn't know it, but she was getting accustomed to hiding herself under the blankets when Kennosuke was involved in her thoughts. A million ideas went through her head as to what was happening with him. Was he fighting? Was he hiding out with Zell and Muetta somewhere? Did they even reach Ch-1? So many possibilities and it only worried her even more.

Yukina knew it in her heart that he was still alive, though. She wanted to believe they had a deeper connection than her having a mere token of his blood. The more she thought about everything, the more tired she got and even with a head full of questions, she fell asleep.

* * *

It was the middle of the night when Yukina woke up. She dragged herself out of bed and rubbed her face, exhausted. She felt achy and decided nothing sounded good to drink or eat at the moment. She also didn't want to be in her room, either, and knew right away where she wanted to go.

Taking the elevator down, she reached the hangar and took a long walk over to the Shiromukuro. She stared for a few minutes before placing a warm hand on the cool metal of its foot. Other than the Kiromukuro, she thought there was nothing more beautiful than the White Relic. Her mother had truly outdone herself this time.

"She's alive." Yukina heard from behind her and jumped. Turning, she saw Jake standing there, looking half asleep.

"You scared me! What are you doing here this late?"

"I could ask you the same. I receive notifications when someone enters the hangar. You'd be surprised how many people try to sneak in here for God knows why." He knew why but didn't intend to share his thoughts on the matter. He came up beside her, gazing up at Shiromukuro.

"So is Kennosuke," Yukina added after a few minutes went by in silence.

"Huh?"

"You said I was alive a moment ago and I was saying that so was Kennosuke. That's the reason I left in a hurry earlier, I thought something happened to him."

Jake looked at her confused for a second then glanced down at her necklace, taking notice of the change in color. He looked back at the White Relic once more.

"Glad the bastards not dead."

"He's not-" Yukina began to chastise Jake when she saw him smiling down at her. She punched him in the arm.

"Bloody hell! If I get hit every time I say something negative about the man I'll be dead."

"You're no good to me dead."

"So I can continue my remarks on the bast-" Yukina punched him again before he could finish the word. Jake brought his hands up to ward her off if she chose to hit him again. "Alright, alright. I'm done teasing."

"I'm surprised Sophie likes a guy like you."

Jake gave her a mock hurt expression.

"To be honest, I don't think it's me she really likes. I can tell there's something she's searching for in a man and unfortunately, it's not in me."

Yukina looked back over at him, surprised with how honest he was being.

"If it's not in you, then who?"

"Hell if I know. As flattered as I should be, I'm not interested in being someone's second best." He turned and leaned against the White Relic, arms crossed. His standard pose.

"It's for the best, really. She can do better than you." Yukina laughed and stepped out of the way of the light kick he gave while still leaning against the White Relic.

Yukina looked back at Shiromukuro and gave a soft smile. As much as she hated the idea of piloting with someone else, she was honestly glad she wasn't doing it alone.

"Officer Borden and Officer Shirahane, what are you two doing here at this hour?" Adelina Grave came walking over, giving them both a disapproving look. Yukina and Jake glanced at one another, neither of them offering up an explanation at the moment. "This is neither the time nor place to be having any discussions or-" Adelina cleared her throat and gave them each a pointed look, "well, this just isn't the time. Report back to your rooms immediately."

"Yes, ma'am," they both said in unison and watched as she walked away, looking around the hangar for any other signs of life.

Shaking his head, Jake started heading towards the elevator doors, not waiting to see if Yukina was following behind. She continued to linger a moment longer, thinking of Kennosuke. That was, after all, what she had come here originally to do.

"I'm coming, Kennosuke. Don't do anything reckless..." Yukina whispered as she stared up at the White Relic, clutching the vial with both hands.

* * *

 **November 2021 - Mars Waypoint**

The Kurobe Shuttle One had fully charged its hyperdrive and made it safely to the waypoint near Mars.

The actual waypoint on Mars could be said otherwise.

Yukina, along with Sophie, were called to the bridge to bear witness to the destruction that once was a biosphere on Mars.

"Olivia, send a message to Earth immediately. Find out if any distressed signals were sent."

"Yes, Captain." Olivia was the only one in the room who was currently moving. Everyone just stared in disbelief.

"Sophie, I need you and your top pilots down there. Now." Captain Borden entered their view and gave them a solemn look. Yukina felt her chest tighten.

"H-how did this happen?" Yukina whispered, her eyes searching for an answer in the Captain's own eyes.

"We're going to find out. I want you to send your new technology down as well. We need all the information we can get. I also need you and Jake out there to find the threat and eliminate it." The Captain dismissed them both. Yukina, stunned, was practically dragged out of the room.

"Focus, Yukina. We need to be alert, the enemy may still be out there." Sophie pulled out her communication device and made a few phone calls along the way down to the hangar. All Yukina could think about was whether or not there was a connection between this and the changing of Kennosuke's blood. She kept asking herself questions but no answers to go with them.

"Yukina!" Sophie finally said and gestured towards the elevator door. She hadn't realized it stopped at the research floor. "Get your stuff and let's go!"

"Right," Yukina took off down the hallway and entered her lab. Grabbing what looked like a black bracelet off the table, she pressed a few buttons that lit up as she touched them and waited for Mars to activate.

" _Greetings, Yukina._ " Mars chimed out and floated up from his charging pod.

"Mars, we have a problem." Yukina ran back out the door, Mars following close behind.

" _Scanning... Everyone is accounted for and all signs of life are positive._ " Mars finished saying as they boarded the elevator. Sophie looked at the machine curiously.

"Is this what you've been working on?" Sophie tried to poke it. Mars beeped at her and floated away.

" _Sophie Noel. Pilot Officer and combat specialist._ "

"Dare I ask what else it knows about me?" Sophie sounded annoyed and turned her focus away from the bot. Upon reaching the hangar, they watched as pilots and engineers were running about, getting ready to launch. "Get in your atmospheric entry suit, you're launching in five," Sophie told her and began heading towards her own geoframe, revealing she had her own suit on underneath her uniform. She also noticed Sophie avoiding Jake on the way to the changing station.

Yukina's hands were shaking as she put on her suit. The idea of Efy Dolgh being behind this frightened her. Thankfully no one mentioned that idea. Exiting the changing room with helmet in hand, Yukina caught Jake giving his second in command instructions before he caught up to her.

"You ready, luv?" He gave her shoulder a good pat and she shrugged him off. Mars orbited around Jake, beeping at him. He waved his hand irritatedly at it.

"This really isn't the time for your jokes." Yukina stopped short at Shiromukuro and looked up. This would be the first time they would actually be piloting the frame. She was both thrilled and nervous at the same time. But, how did they board it?

Jake gave a loud whistle then and a device pulled out from the Relic's chest and lowered down. It was very similar to what Kennosuke called his "horse." Yukina watched in awe as it softly landed in front of them. Mars began to scan it.

"Hurry up, we're launching in two," Jake called out and climbed inside once it lowered its door. Yukina snapped out of her trance and climbed aboard quickly, taking in the similarities of this and the "horse". The door closed behind her and Mars and once seated, Jake whistled one last time and the cube lifted and placed itself inside Shiromukuro.

Jake put his helmet on then and Yukina followed suit. Lights lit up inside and a clear view of the hangar could now be seen.

"Shiromukuro, you're launching in T-minus one minute."

"Roger that," Jake said and began his routine checklist of the frames weapons.

"Yukina, I'm sending over layouts that we have received from NASA and what was previously the Mars Biodome Research team. Use it to help navigate the terrain below." A voice she didn't recognize said over their connection.

"Uh, copy that." Yukina began receiving said information and she began going through it quickly.

"Shiromukuro, t-minus 30 seconds."

The Shiromukuro was brought over to the ships mass driver and was placed in position for launch.

"You know how to land correctly, right?" Yukina swiped the hologram information she received out of view and peered down at Jake.

"We're making a grand entrance, don't you worry." She couldn't see the smirk he gave but it was evident by his tone. Yukina pursed her lips in response.

"Shiromukuro, t-minus 10 seconds."

"This is it, luv, let's make that husband of yours proud."

"He's not my husband... yet." Yukina grumbled under her breath.

"Shiromukuro, t-minus 5...4...3...2...1. Launching," the automated voice said and they were shot down towards the planets surface. Yukina wasn't as prepared as she thought she was as they plummeted down, the pressure feeling uncomfortable.

" _Yukina, your heart rate has gone up."_ Mars floated in front of her.

"I'm fine." Yukina motioned him to move as she watched them draw nearer to the rocky terrain.

"What _is_ that?" Jake glanced behind him and looked at the machine.

"He's what I've been working on for years. Now shut up and focus, I don't want you killing us." Yukina gripped onto the arm rests, bracing for their impact. Jake rolled his eyes and hit a few buttons. Wings extended out from the frame and emitted powerful gravitational waves, slowing the frame down considerably for a softer landing.

"Brace yourself!" Jake called back and Yukina quickly grabbed a hold of Mars just as they gracefully crashed into the ground. They recovered quickly and found themselves being surrounded by the other geoframes.

"Jake, Yukina, you're with Sebastian. You'll head north while Lania and Brody head east, Touma and Himari will head west and finally Reo and I will head south. Keep your eyes and ears open and let us know if you come across anything unusual. Yukina, send your bot out. Be safe everyone, over and out," Sophie said and Yukina watched as everyone began their trek in opposite directions.

"Alright Mars, you're up." Yukina let Mars fly out of her hands and float into a tube that would release him out into the planets harsh temperature.

"He's pretty small, can he keep up?" Jake watched as the orb flew out in front of them, circling around for a little while before going off to investigate the debris around them.

"He can withstand any temperature or atmosphere. He's quite adaptable," Yukina ignored what Mars was doing at the moment and pulled up the details she received from the research team.

Jake pulled out one of Shiromukuro's swords and used it to rummage through the debris left behind the destruction. Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

"What do you think happened?" Yukina asked Jake when she finally had a moment to look at their surroundings. Looking around, she wished she brought her sketch pad.

"I'd say whoever it was, it was a very methodical move. Everything here is unrepairable and almost unrecognizable. Even as an engineer, I wouldn't want to bother piecing things together." Jake noticed Sebastian was a lot farther ahead and decided to move on from the apparent wreckage.

Yukina's heart skipped a beat upon hearing his opinion. It definitely sounded like something the Efy Dolgh would do. Would there be any evidence left behind that would implicate them?

They had walked for several miles before Mars reappeared. He was flashing and making erratic moves.

"Mars has located something, follow him," Yukina told Jake and he seemed weary on the idea.

"It better be good, we've been out here for awhile and haven't heard back from the others," Jake turned in the direction Mars floated away to. It wasn't far from where they were currently, but the path lead from a rocky road to a narrow canyon.

"The frame won't be able to fit. We can try looking from above." Jake used the rocket boosters to propel them up and forward. Mars flew out from the canyon and started flashing once more. "Can't you call it back in?"

Yukina rolled her eyes and pressed a button on the wrist band she wore. Mars came towards them and entered through the special tunnel made for him. He beeped at her.

" _Object detected that is consistent of Efy Dolgh technology."_

Yukina felt that tightness in her chest once more. _It couldn't be_.

"Show me your footage," Yukina demanded, hand clutching her vial.

Mars beamed out the last few minutes of footage, showing something dark and relatively large that was covered by fallen rocks. It was too hard to make out.

"Let's call this in, we'll need a team out here as soon as possible."

"This is Shiromukuro, we've located something and are requesting back up. Sending our coordinates." Yukina called over their radio connection.

"Copy that," everyone called out.

* * *

 **Six Hours Later...**

Yukina, Sophie and Jake were sitting in the conference room along with Captain Borden, Adelina, and Alex. The mood was grim.

"What have we found?" Captain Borden looked over at Yukina.

"Mars has detected an object that is most likely from the Efy Dolgh."

"We have an excavating team down there as we speak, digging it out." Jake said, leaning in his chair with arms crossed. Sophie remained silent.

"How sure are we that this is from them at all?" Adelina now asked, giving Yukina a pointed look. Yukina didn't like the looks she gave her.

"Although the footage Mars captured doesn't give us enough information, the scan he conducted does, he's 100% positive this is their technology."

"We'll see once we have a better idea _what_ that is." Adelina argued back. Apparently numbers weren't good enough for her.

"If this is from Efy Dolgh, then are we to assume the attack was by them?" Alex chimed in, looking to Captain Borden who remained silent.

"Olivia received information back on Earth that no distress signal was sent when the dome was attacked. They kept in regular contact, but that was once a month. They last heard from them two weeks ago at their usual date and time and nothing unusual was reported then." Adelina set a folder down on the table. "This is what was discussed when they made contact last." She slid the folder down for the group to look at. "See if anything does stand out to you, maybe they were influenced at the time before the final attack."

Yukina watched for any reaction Sophie and Jake would have while reading the report. Her heart was racing by the time the folder landed in front of her.

"Go ahead, Yukina, take a look."

Yukina opened the folder and perused the contents. Nothing stood out. It was mostly a checklist of daily activities and updates on research they were conducting. But then..

"This." She slid the folder back over to the Captain and Adelina. "The metal listed down below isn't consistent with the planets environment at all. That large amount would have had to come from somewhere else."

"Like Earth?"

"It's possible, but it depends on what they needed the metal for. You would need to confirm that with the research team back on Earth." Yukina thought they were getting closer to some kind of answer.

"Thank you for your help. You are all dismissed for the time being, and until we have a better answer on what is down below, you're to go about your daily activities." The Captain rose from his chair and saluted. Everyone left except for Yukina and Alex.

"How you holding up?" Alex sat next to Yukina who was still trying to process everything.

"Not too well, to be honest. I have this feeling that part of this is my fault."

"Why would you say such a thing?"

Yukina turned in her chair and looked at Alex solemnly.

"I've been selfish lately, and I even put the lives of the whole crew in jeopardy."

"For your one transmission? You're being too hard on yourself." Alex grabbed a hold of Yukina's hands with his own and forced her to stare deep into his eyes. "What happened isn't your fault, and when we need your help, you need to be the best part of you. The part we all depend on. The part that Kennosuke _fell in love_ with." Alex gave her a charming smile. Yukina gave a weak laugh.

"Save your charms for Sophie, will you?" Yukina shook her head unbelievably while brushing a few tears from her eyes.

"I'm not as charming as Jake is."

Yukina snorted.

"He's as charming as a snake. Besides, he's not interested in Sophie." Alex perked at the comment.

"So I still have a chance?" Yukina looked at him curiously.

"You really do like Sophie. Have you even exchanged more than 10 words with her?"

Alex thought about that for a moment and then blushed. Yukina gave him an exasperated look.

"Honestly, Alex, your pep talk earlier doesn't give me much confidence anymore." They both laughed and stood to leave.

"What can I say, I'm a shy guy when it comes to women I like." They headed down to get some food and to finally discuss their plans for Alex to win the heart of his lady love.


	6. Chapter 6

**2021 - EFY DOLGH MOTHERSHIP 000 - UNKNOWN LOCATION**

Needless to say the original Efy Dolgh mothership was daunting, and so were the beings that occupied it. Every one on board was covered in some form of decorated armor, whether it was light or heavy, and they never revealed their faces. Coming in many different shapes and forms, they almost seemed unnatural. Whatever their race truly was, there was only one word that came to mind; eerie.

Much like the mothership that invaded Earth, this one also held a room full of commanding officers. But there was one figure who stood out among them, and he was heavily embellished and was flourished in color. He was their monarch and he radiated authority, along with evil. He was reserved at the moment, while a discussion was well underway..

"Was the attack successful?"

"Our reports show everything was decimated."

"This isn't what I thought we agreed upon."

"It's not an inhabited planet, _that_ was our reasoning behind the attack."

"I'd say it was a waste of our resources. What will we gain from this?"

"Knowledge is power, power is the key to our _existence_. We don't know what they were doing there or what their plans are. Our last disclosure said they're highly intelligent, why else has it taken this long to take over their planet?"

"This isn't about how intelligent or advanced they are, this is about protecting our species."

The arguments among the members continued to escalate, their voices reaching many octaves. Their leader continued to listen, and the others didn't seem to notice that he was quite bored with the whole discussion.

" ** _Enough."_** He barely raised his voice, but the room went unnaturally quiet after he spoke. " ** _What a trivial matter this is, and yet you argue with your brethren. You're letting the humans place doubt and insecurities in your mind. Have you forgotten what we are and what we have accomplished over the centuries?"_** He stood, his figure formidable. He could even make the largest creature in the world feel inferior. **_"What is done, is done. We are one step closer to my new arrangement and that is_** ** _annihilating Earth altogether. I will not deal with their resistance any longer. Now, bring me directive officer 4096."_**

Every one in the room went still as he demanded the officer to be brought in, who originally created and gave orders to the Gezonreko Unit. When the king ordered someone in the room, they never left the same, or alive for that matter.

* * *

 **November 2021 - KSO Ship**

Once more the chief officers were gathered in the conference room to discuss the unidentified object found on Mars. Its been three days since discovering the 'artifact' and no one still had an idea of what _it_ was. Without having the research dome there on Mars, the task would be proven even more difficult. Tensions were already running high and with the rumors of it being from Efy Dolgh, thoughts of their mission proving to be successful were plummeting.

"We're not exactly staffed or equipped to be studying this artifact. We're a rescue team, not a research one." Jake argued with his father, the captain.

"This may not have been planned, but this is what's more important at the moment. We need answers and I need you and your team to give them to me. Earth is sending reinforcements as we speak, but that's a month out." The captain argued back, staring his son down. Jake slammed his fists against the table and stood.

"This could well be a suicide mission for the team, we can't afford that." Jake said through gritted teeth. Everyone else in the room now felt slightly uncomfortable and wanted to be anywhere else but there, between a father and son squabble.

"Bloody hell, boy, I don't have any other options. Our priority is finding out what the hell that object is and whether it's a threat to us. Your men need to get answers and Sophie's team needs to be prepared for the worst." The captain remained in his seat, but his stare turned cold. Yukina wasn't sure how long time passed that way, the two Borden men staring each other down and how long everyone held their breaths.

"Just remember, this is on you." Jake gave the table one last thump before heading towards the door. He ignored the stares and slammed the door on his way out. Everyone let out shaky breaths. Yukina didn't like the idea that Jake thought something would eventually go wrong.

"My son does have a point. Until the extra personnel arrive, we're all taking on extra duties. Now that word has spread that this could very well be from Efy Dolgh, crew members are starting to doubt our mission. We may be equipped for battle, but many of us are expecting to not start one." Leaning back in his chair, the captain now looked weary.

"From what we know about the Efy Dolgh, they're strategy for attack is with their geoframes. This could be a fragment of one or could be something else entirely. We'll all lose hope if we start playing the 'what if' game. The faster we get answers, the better we can manage people on board from losing that hope." Sophie calmly said, looking around at everyone in the room. Yukina still felt troubled.

"Excellent point, Sophie. We won't add our own concerns with the others and instead we need to build their morale. The more confident we are, the less likely we'll have a riot." The captain then rose from his chair and gave a curt nod for everyone in the room. "You're all dismissed."

Everyone started to leave the room while caught up in their own thoughts. Yukina was pulled aside by the captain as the room cleared out.

"We need you now more than ever, Yukina. You're one of the few that know exactly what we're up against and we have that to our advantage. I'm entrusting this project to you." The captain gave her a warm smile to ease her growing fear. That wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear right now. She wanted and needed Kennosuke, now more than ever.

"I'll do my best, Captain." Yukina hoped she returned a comforting smile back. The Captain gave her an encouraging nod before leaving.

Grasping her vial, she stared intently at the blood asking for it to give her a fraction of confidence Kennosuke always seemed to have. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing sound from her communication device.

" _Incoming call. Jake Borden."_

 _Great_. It wasn't bad enough that Captain Borden put all his faith in her capabilities while the other Borden thought she lacked them. She was beginning to think she'd rather be back with Tom Borden instead of these two, at least he didn't have any high expectations from her like these two seem to have.

"Accept." Yukina let out a long sigh.

"Yukina, we're going down in twenty, I need you and Mars here in ten." His hologram even projected his anger well. Before she could give any reply, he had ended the call. That really annoyed her.

She met him in thirteen minutes instead of ten, just to spite him. A vein was threatening to burst on his forehead once she appeared and she considered that a small victory. Yukina knew he wasn't truly annoyed with her, though, but more so of the situation they were put in.

"We're going down to help our research team excavate the relic, Sophie and the other pilots are going to continue their search for any other missing pieces if there are any." Jake lead them to their frame and whistled their pod down. "Be ready to clock in long hours." He rolled his already aching shoulders forwards and backwards before entering the pod.

"Could this get any worse..." Yukina grumbled, her shoulders sagging slightly before following suit.

* * *

 **November 2021 - Mars - Nine Hours Later...**

Yukina and Jake worked tirelessly to help their small research team extract the unidentified object. Casualties occurred, but thankfully no fatalities. With their team growing smaller, their time frame of solving this problem would straggle on. Something Yukina wasn't happy about.

With the help of the other pilots, they were able to successfully put the relic on an unused GAUS transport trailer. Although it laid awkwardly on it, it would give the research team better access to study all parts of it. Now the real question was,

"What is it?" Jake asked Yukina as he moved the frame closer to inspect the object. Mars was already outside, scanning it further.

"How should I know?" She snapped, both hungry and tired. As relieved as she was to finally get this part of the job done, she wanted nothing more than to eat and sleep and worry about this part later. "It doesn't look like a pivot stone, so your guess is as good as mine."

"Is that what they use to open a portal between worlds?"

"Yes. Although it doesn't look like the one found on Earth, this could still be something similar."

A beeping sound was heard inside their pod. It was the Captain calling. Yukina could hear Jake grind his teeth.

"Jake, Yukina, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Captain." Yukina called out a few seconds after Jake gave no reply. Apparently he was going to ignore him.

"What's your status?"

"We've successfully extracted the piece, sir, although, we can't provide you with any further answers."

"Job well done, then. Phase One has been accomplished and we'll begin Phase Two in forty-eight hours. You and your team are dismissed until then, thank you." He disconnected and Yukina released another long sigh. She noticed she had been doing that a lot lately..

"Cheeky bastard," Jake mumbled out and waited for Mars to re-enter the frame before heading towards the designated beaming spot. All the other pilots followed suit, reporting nothing new on their scavenger hunt.

"Honestly, how long will you and your father continue this... well, whatever you want to call it." Yukina asked, agitated.

"Don't worry about it, this is between us." He replied softly, not indulging her any further. Yukina would normally have pressed for more answers but she was too exhausted to bother.

As they were sent back up, another team was sent down to place a temporary dome over the relic and to keep it secure until their team came back down in two days time. No one was happy about the overtime, but nothing could be done about that. Yukina just hoped this distraction wouldn't have a big impact when they eventually reached Chi-1. The sooner they got there, the better, but this new development caused her nothing but worry and grief. Was this a sign that things went wrong for Kennosuke, Muetta and Zell?

* * *

 _ **November 2021 - Intergalactic Syndicate Headquarters near Chi-1**_

The month of October, or whatever the Orgre's called their months, for Chi-1 would forever be a victory celebration. The SEA was proven to be successful, freeing many who were infected by the parasites. While many survived, there was a small number who did not. Their lives would never be forgotten for monuments, mausoleums and cenotaphs would be built for the many who had either died fighting, or died while being influenced.

Zelleager was hailed a liberator and received many gifts for his heroism. Many even wanted him to begin ruling over their new lives but he declined the offer. He was far too old and tired to lead them but he would, however, help appoint one.

While it would take several years for them to rebuild their society, they couldn't have been happier to just be alive. And with the help of the Intergalactic Syndicate, they would now have the technology and manpower to protect their home planet from any new invasions. There was also no short supply of volunteers to help protect their planet, and soon, a militia was born.

While Zell wanted nothing more than to be back home to grieve in peace for the family he lost, he still had unanswered questions. Even after everything he went through, his mission was far from over. He would continue to be a part of the syndicate and give his life to answering those questions. He still had much to offer, and it wouldn't feel right to leave those who still have people and homes to save. There was also one person who needed his help more than ever, and he wouldn't abandon his friend in his time of need...

Zell had stepped in to a small office that was currently occupied by two doctors. They were having a whispered conversation but stopped immediately as soon as he stepped inside. One of them was of the _Batrin_ race and the other a Feng.

" _Zelleager, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with us."_ The Batrin, named Vyrte, spoke telepathically.

"Yes, we have good news for you- _prr_." A female Feng, named Lucia, purred out. Her black fur made the blue in her eyes stand out.

"I am never too busy for what you two have to say. But, where is Muetta? Should she be here?"

"She is waiting for us as we speak. Come, let us go see them." Lucia gestured for them to all exit the room and lead them to a separate medical wing.

The wing was full of medical personnel and advisers who were currently busy attending to those who needed medical attention. The open medical floor was for those who weren't in critical condition, while those who were, were in separate rooms located down a hallway. There were ten emergency rooms but only one was occupied at the moment.

All three stepped into a massive, lightly lit room that contained a large bio-conveyance tank in the center of said room. The liquid contents in the tank contained internal nano-machines that are activated to maintain the host in a state of suspended animation. Inside the tank was Kennosuke, who wore a breathing mask that covered half his face and sensors connected to cords that were attached across his naked body. His eyes were currently closed and he appeared to be in a serene state.

Muetta turned from her spot in front of the tank to watch the three of them head towards her. She looked a little worse for wear but her eyes brightened at the sight of Zell.

"It's been quite some time since I've seen you. How is everything going on your home planet?" Muetta asked as soon as they all reached her.

"Given the circumstances, quite well. They're ready to begin new lives and learn from their mistakes. It'll take centuries, but moving forward is the best step to recovery." Zell turned his eyes to Kennosuke and they darkened. "What he has done for them will never be forgotten, and I will forever be in his debt."

"You can say that to him as soon as he wakes." Muetta placed a warm hand on his arm while Zell continued to look uncertain.

" _We have brought you here to tell you good news. Thanks to the nano-machines in his body, he is healing quite exponentially. If he were a regular human the electrical pulse would have likely killed him."_ Vyrte said behind him. He was gazing at Kennosuke's form thoughtfully.

"It is extraordinary, what he is capable of surviving. Even our studies over the last few years have shown we have much to learn about these nano-machines. As much as we dislike the Efy Dolgh, this technology is by far superior of its kind- _purr."_ Lucia placed a dark furry paw upon the glass and looked at Kennosuke wistfully.

The room was silent for a moment as everyone gazed at Kennosuke with a myriad of emotions.

"Has he been awake at all?" Zell finally asked and only Vyrte turned his eyes towards him.

" _He has not, but his brain activity shows he is consciously aware. He may even be listening to our conversation as we speak."_

"He won't be in this state forever, Zell, and as soon as he does wake, we'll continue what we've started." Muetta curled her hands into small fists by her side. Her hopeful gaze turning vengeful.

"Ah, about that Muetta," Lucia pulled out a piece of paper from her lab cloak and handed it to her. "This is the reason we have brought both of you here. While he is alive and physically well, there is something minor that we discovered while giving him a brain scan. This could very well be life altering- _purr."_

Both Muetta and Zell looked over the contents and it wasn't until they reached the end that they understood what she meant. Muetta and Zell looked at one another and were both at a loss for words. This may or may not change anything but Muetta felt the seed of doubt beginning to grow inside of her. And worse, her heart ached for both Kennosuke and Yukina if this were true.


	7. Chapter 7

**December 2021 - KSO Ship near Mars**

A month has gone by and the new research team sent from Earth has arrived to take over the study of the Efy Dolgh relic. It would be a slow start for them, with having to rebuild their biodome and the answers they would hope to receive would be put off. As much as the Captain wanted to stay behind and get his answers, they needed to continue moving forward, and to reach Chi-1. They were well behind schedule as it was, but he was afraid that what happened here on Mars has already happened elsewhere.

Assembled once again in the conference room, the room was buzzing with activity. Everyone was talking with one another about their continued embarkation to Chi-1, and how happy they would be to go back to their regular schedules. Although there was one person who wasn't as jovial.

"Alright, Officers, settle down." The Captain finally put a halt to the excited chatter. "I understand that this last month has put a lot of tension and stress on all of us, but we still have no idea what we're really up against. In fact, I'm quite disappointed in you lot. You're the best team we've got and we're still no closer to solving this mystery."

Whatever happy spirits the officers did have, died with his words. They gave one another guilty glances, all except for one.

"Damn it, father, we've worked our asses off trying to solve this problem. Do you honestly think we need to be berated on our work ethics?"

 _Oh, no, not again,_ Yukina thought, trying to make herself small while slumping further into her chair.

"That is enough disrespect out of you, Officer Borden." Adelina Grave scowled at Jake, finally stepping in for the Captain. The captain, however, didn't appreciate the backup.

"Silence!" He stood from his chair, clasping his hands behind his back. "You all have worked tirelessly this last month and for that I appreciate all of your efforts, but this is becoming a life or death situation for us all and we need to be prepared for the worst. The only way to do that is by knowing what we are up against and dammit to hell if I hate being left in the dark!" His facial features expressed his anger and for the first time since knowing him, Yukina felt terrified. Seeing the Captain undone was a little frightening and she couldn't help but feel a lot of it was her fault.

"Captain?" Yukina finally spoke, interrupting the tension the Borden men were once again having.

"What is it, Shirahane?" His hot gaze turned to her and his expression softened slightly.

"I've been going over the footage of what Mars has captured and I have a theory," Yukina waited for his approval to continue. The Captain sat down in his chair once more and cleared his throat, regaining his composure.

"Finally, some logic behind this madness. Do continue, Yukina."

Yukina placed pictures on the table that she pulled from a folder next to her chair.

"These pictures show that this piece is part of a larger whole. While we haven't recovered any other pieces, I believe they were disintegrated along with everything else."

"What are you saying?" The Captain's patience was wearing thin.

"Sir, I believe it was a weapon."

Everyone began speaking at once. Yukina caught bits and pieces of conversations, but she felt a headache coming on from all the shouting.

"Silence!" Adelina shouted this time and everyones attention returned to Yukina's.

"Jake and I have gone over the designs for both the GAUS and the Efy Dolgh's geoframes and that piece doesn't match anything in our database."

"We also don't know how it happened, it could possibly have been teleported or depending on the technology, it traveled at speeds unknown to man." Jake cut in, seeing what his Father was going to ask next.

Everyone pondered the news with grim expressions.

"I'd wager the weapon was sent for a specific reason, then." Sophie was glancing over the photos as all eyes turned towards her. "It didn't destroy the planet, which then leads to the next question, why just the biodome?" Sophie gave Yukina a pointed look then. Yukina started to feel sick to her stomach.

"Aren't the Efy Dolgh working alone?" Alex, for the first time, chimed in.

"That's been our misconception. Efy Dolgh isn't necessarily a who, but a what. They're a race that invades and conquers and uses the planets resources to _their_ advantage. What's to say they haven't sent something from a planet they've already vanquished?" Sophie's confident gaze grazed over everyone in the room. Apparently she's been deliberating on this subject matter for awhile, and it struck a nerve.

The Captain raised his hand to keep Sophie from voicing any more opinions.

"Speculation is not needed here, Sophie. Bring me proof to back up your theories. Until then, what was said stays here in this room."

Sophie looked as though she wanted to argue back but chose to not indulge in that temptation. Yukina watched as Sophie curled her hands into fists and placed them in her lap. This wasn't like Sophie and Yukina decided she would need to set her aside and talk. They both could use one another's company at the moment.

"With us continuing on to our final destination, crew members have returned to their duties diligently. I understand many have questions that need answering, but until we know those answers ourselves we mustn't stoke the fire, as it were." The Captain stood and gave everyone his dismissal salute. He left everyone with rather low spirits, after what was discussed, but it was best to move on from those feelings and towards their upcoming arrival to Chi-1. Preparations would need to be made, and everyone would be too busy with their work to think about anything else.

* * *

 **January 2022 - KSO Ship**

 ** _"Happy New Year!"_** Dozens of champagne glasses were clinked together and the liquid contents were drunk. Majority of the crew was gathered together to celebrate Earth's New Year and hopefully a triumphant year for themselves.

Yukina arrived with Sophie, who didn't seem overly thrilled to be there. She was also not interested with mingling with the others.

"Sophie, what's wrong with you lately? Do you want to talk about it?" Her question was leaving it open but she knew the real problem lay with Efy Dolgh.

"Whatever do you mean?" Sophie took a large drink of the alcohol and, once drained, she gestured for another that came all too quickly by someone who was handing them out.

"You've been, er, more distant than usual. We've grown close over the years but now it's like I'm back to square one with you." Yukina watched Sophie drink half the contents of the new drink.

"I'm fine," Sophie chose then to walk away from her. Yukina was going to follow after her when Alex showed up.

"I'll stay with her, make sure she keeps out of trouble." Alex gave Yukina a glass of champagne that was much needed and took off after a slightly stumbling Sophie.

As much as she wanted to be there for her friend, she didn't want Sophie to revert back to being stiff and distant. Besides, she trusted Alex and there was no better time for him than now to be there for her.

Yukina took a drink as she glanced over the large room and the masses of bodies gathered together. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and for once she felt at ease. That, or it was the alcohol kicking in.

She missed the New Year celebrations back home, and immediately began feeling homesick. It wasn't just the festivals but also the feel of the warm sun against her skin, or a cold breeze flowing through her hair. Watching the seasons come and go was something she took for granted.

But her reminiscing was cut short when a large commotion could be heard coming from the center of the room. Everyone was just as curious as to what was happening as Yukina shoved her way through the gathering crowd and closer to the disturbance. She was beginning to hear what was being said...

"Gerroff me!"

"Calm down, Kiel, let's get you back to your room."

"No! Yer jus' tryin' to lock me away, but no more!"

"No one is locking you away, you just need to sober up, man."

"It's not fair... she's dead... _DEAD!"_

Yukina finally broke through the crowd and saw three men circled around each other. Two of them were trying to reign in the man who had apparently too much to drink. It was causing quite the scene. Yukina stepped closer, hoping to be of assistance when the eyes of the drunk man turned to her.

" _YOU!"_ He shouted and stumbled past the two men blocking his path. "'Tis your fault she's dead!"

"I-I don't.." Yukina was baffled and took a step back from the oncoming threat. Confused, she tried to see if she recognized the man at all but was at a complete loss. Maybe he had her confused with someone else?

"Me sister was 'ere... on Mars... when it blew up!" He stumbled slightly and was a big enough man to shake off the other two men who tried to hold him back.

"I'm.. so sorry, I didn't know-" Dismayed, Yukina could only stare in shock from his accusations.

"Yer'll pay for that!" He finally reached her and it was so sudden when he pulled back his right arm, aiming to punch her. Yukina, who wasn't clear of mind herself, raised her arms up defensively in an "X" shape and closed her eyes, hoping the impact wouldn't be as strong as he looked. She heard collective gasps and then nothing. After a few seconds of waiting, Yukina opened her eyes and peeked over her arms to find Jake standing in front of her.

She couldn't see past his broad back, but everyone else saw Jake catch the punch the other man threw.

"What sort of man punches a woman? You're pathetic scum." Jake squeezed, crushing the man's fist all the while bringing his right arm back to effectively sucker punch the inebriated adversary, right fist colliding heavily upon his opponent's left chin; down, in a heap, fell the recipient of the devastating blow. Jake then gestured for the two friends of the drunk man to seek medical attention before finally turning towards Yukina.

"Are you alright?" Concern was etched across his face. Yukina let out a shaky breath.

"Am I alright? That man accused me of murder. I-" Yukina stopped short and saw that there was still a crowd gathered around them.

Jake saw her struggling to get the words out and grabbed her arm, shoving past the whispering people.

"Where are we going?" Yukina tried to break free from his clasp.

"I want to show you something." They left the room and headed towards a location Yukina was unfamiliar with.

"You can let go of my arm now," Yukina pulled free from his grasp and rubbed her arm subconsciously. She didn't receive a response but continued to follow him to wherever he was taking her. It wasn't long until they entered into a dark room that lit up once they stepped fully inside. A ring of couches were centered in the room and that was the only furnishings in sight. The walls appeared to be a cohesive screen.

"What is this place?" She looked around until she finally landed her confused gaze back on Jake.

"You'll see," Jake sat on the couch and gestured for her to sit next to him. She debated with herself whether that was a good idea or not but then she remembered he saved her from a most formidable drunk foe. Sighing impatiently, she sat and looked up towards the ceiling.

"If this is some joke or prank-" Yukina started to chastise him but he cut her off.

"Caira, take us to Kurobe Dam." Jake shouted out and glanced over at Yukina. "You're familiar with the place, right?"

Before Yukina could reply, the screen lit up and suddenly an image of the Kurobe Dam where her mother's research laboratory is, appeared. It was so realistic, it was like she was there herself.

"But how-" Yukina cut herself off again, suddenly noticing that the scenery was moving, as if in real time. The water was flowing out of the floodgates and chirping birds were flying high in the air. If she didn't know any better, she could feel the soft breeze and smell the water from where she sat.

"Space life can make anyone feel homesick. It can also drive many insane, so they built this virtual scenery room that can take you anywhere back on Earth. I believe all of it is pre-recorded, but it should have most every famous site in the world. It can also do some basic scenery, like a sunset or open ocean." Jake looked relaxed at the moment and Yukina envied him for it. Some time passed in silence as they enjoyed the view.

"How did you know this is what I needed?" She watched him shrug his shoulders and turn his burnished-hues in her direction.

"Believe it or not, I can read people like a book." Jake gave her a confident smirk as Yukina rolled her eyes and looked back at the scenery she missed the most. If only she had her sketch pad...

"What's your favorite place to view?" Yukina asked without taking her eyes off the screen. Jake seemed to be arguing with himself about something and finally he said,

"It's, uh, pretty personal to be honest and bloody embarrassing." Jake's cheeks tinged a slight pink color and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"I didn't think anything embarrassed you, but now you _have_ to show me." Yukina gave a small laugh and realized she was back to being clear-headed.

"What I'm about to show and tell you, you can't tell my father." Jake turned towards her then and stared her straight in the eyes.

"This must be quite the secret, but you do have my word." Yukina was slightly worried now and wasn't quite sure what he'd be showing her. Jake nodded and took in a deep breath.

"Caira, take us to New Forest Park." Yukina was anxious, to say the least, and was blown away by what changed on the screen. Beech and Oak trees covered most of the screen while flowers of a variety of color covered the forest floor. Part of the screen showed a river not too far out and she also noticed some wildlife, such as deer and squirrels, roaming about. It was utterly breathtaking and she couldn't see why Jake would be embarrassed.

"I used to come here a lot as a young lad. When my father was working for MI6, my family would be holed up in the countryside while he was away." Jake began explaining his story while Yukina tried to take everything in all at once. "I'd been going to this forest for several years and eventually found a private spot that would be hard enough to navigate to unless you were familiar with the terrain. Anyways, long story short, I took a girl there that I used to love and asked her to marry me."

Yukina covered her mouth to hold back both a gasp and a laugh. Trying to picture him asking some girl to marry him was quite the image.

"Laugh all you want, I was only seventeen at the time and thankfully she turned me down. Would have been the biggest mistake of my life if she agreed. To this day no one else knows that I made a stupid proposal and so I then decided to follow in my father's footsteps from there on out." The pink on his cheeks remained and instead of nervously rubbing his head, he now scratched at it irritatedly.

"I don't mean to laugh, but it is quite funny when you think about it. I mean, you? Married?" Yukina laughed again and it took a minute for her to calm down. Jake stood then and waved an annoyed hand at her.

"Well, part of the point was to make you laugh."

"... And the other point?" Yukina stood also and waited for his reply when suddenly, her communication device began ringing.

" _Call from Alex Conrad. Accept?"_

"Accept."

"Yukina! Glad I caught you, I need your help. Sophie is-" Alex began but Sophie suddenly appeared on the screen.

"Yuuukiiiinaaaa, where aaare yooou?" Sophie slurred.

"Give me that-" Yukina watched as Sophie disappeared and Alex reappeared on the screen. "She keeps asking for you, would you mind stopping by her room?"

"Yes, of course, I'll be right there." Yukina ended the call and placed the device back in her pocket. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere, I'll see you around." Yukina hurried towards the exit but paused before leaving. "Jake? Thanks for showing me this, I'll keep this place in mind when I'm feeling down again." Giving a small wave she disappeared.

Jake shoved his hands into his pockets and looked back at the familiar scenery. It brought back a myriad of feelings and he wasn't so sure telling Yukina something so personal was a good idea. It was certainly a weight lifted off his chest, telling someone about that, but for it to be someone like Yukina?

"Hell's bells."

* * *

Yukina reached Sophie's room and just as she was about to knock, Alex opened the door.

"Thank God you're here, but she's finally asleep." Alex let Yukina in and she looked over to where Sophie was drunkenly passed out on the bed. Giving a sigh, she went over and checked on her friend.

"Thank you for taking care of her, how did it go?" Yukina brushed blonde hair out of Sophie's face and tried to make her a little more comfortable by adjusting her position and covering her with a blanket. Sophie, in the meantime, let out a few loud snorts to the movement.

"Well, for one, she didn't brush me off like she normally does. She actually talked quite a bit."

"Really?" Yukina finished tucking Sophie in for the night and turned a surprised look at Alex. He was blushing.

"She had a lot to say, although most of it was about you."

"Me?" Yukina gestured for them to sit at the small table while she prepared them some tea.

"She cares a lot about you, you know. She also sounded... envious."

"Sophie isn't the envy type."

"Tonight she was. She talked about you and Kennosuke and how you have this hopelessly romantic love that she wishes she had."

With tea prepared, Yukina brought it back to the table and deliberated his comment.

"Anyways, a lot of it was rambling and I couldn't get my own two cents in."

"But don't you see? This is your in. This is how we get Sophie to open up to you."

"You mean getting her drunk?" Alex sipped his tea and gave her an unsure glance.

"I mean talking about me. Sophie and I talk about everything and everyone else on occasion, but it sounds like she needs someone to talk to about me." Yukina then pursed her lips. "Although I'm not sure I want to know what she has to say about me..."

"Maybe you're right. It's worth a shot at least. Even though I enjoyed being with Sophie, not sure I like this side of her. It's... just not her." Alex shrugged his shoulders as Yukina gave him a sad head shake. "Oh, I also have a favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"Can you teach me about the Bushido code?"

Yukina gave him a warm smile and nodded her head.

* * *

 **The Next Day...**

"My head..." Sophie sat up in bed while holding her head, wincing from the pain.

"It's unlike you to sleep in." Yukina brought over some tea for Sophie to drink and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Yukina? What are you doing here and... ouch." Sophie rubbed her head some more before grabbing the tea.

"You had too much to drink last night."

"I did? Oh..." Sophie took a long drink of the warm tea and once finished, looked over at Yukina. "What happened?"

"You tried drowning your sorrows in alcohol, I'd wager."

"Wait... you don't know?"

"Alex was with you the whole night, you'd have to ask him what happened."

"I was with who?!" Sophie stood up too quickly but fell back on the bed from the sharp sting in the head.

"Calm down, not like that. Alex took care of you when you had too much to drink. He took you back to your room to make sure you didn't get into any trouble."

"Then... why are you here now?"

"He called me when you passed out and I came over to watch over you for the night. Apparently you're quite the talker."

"Oh no..." Sophie groaned and covered herself with the blanket.

"Oh yes." Yukina gave a mischievous smile. Teasing Sophie in this state was quite fun.

"What did I say?" She poked her head out from underneath the blanket, quite worried.

"I don't know, you'd have to ask Alex." This was the second time she told her.

"Who's Alex?"

Yukina glared at her. "You can't be serious."

"I am, who's Alex?" Sophie returned the look.

"He's the operations officer, you see him once a week to give your weekly reports to. You can't be that oblivious."

"Well, can't say the guy is very impressionable then." Sophie got up and went to pour herself another cup of tea. Yukina's jaw went slack.

"Not impressionable? He's..." Yukina sighed and really didn't want to argue with Sophie about Alex's whimsical looks. "Look, you owe him a great deal for taking care of you."

"It matters this much to you?"

"You think it doesn't? He's become a very good friend of mine and he cares about you. He'd appreciate a word of thanks at the least."

"Consider it done, then." Sophie returned to the bed with a full cup of tea and ignored Yukina's stare. It would appear Sophie was back to her usual standoff-ish ways. Yukina inwardly sigh. She wanted to discuss Efy Dolgh next but received a video message for her to meet with the Captain and Officer Munche, the communication specialist. Sophie didn't seem perturbed by the message but ignored Yukina as she got ready to leave.

"Oh, here," Yukina pulled out a folded handkerchief and set it on the table for Sophie. "This is Alex's, I believe you know what to do with it." Then she left, leaving Sophie to gaze thoughtfully at the small, square cloth. A few minutes went by and Sophie finally went over and picked it up. It was warm and soft to the touch. She slowly brought it to her nose and breathed in the masculine scent. The headache she was feeling seemed to disappear and she felt an overwhelming sense of calm.

* * *

The last thing Yukina wanted to do was have a personal meeting with the Captain right now. With the night she had, she wanted a day just for herself. She first thought it would be about last nights fight, but with Olivia Munche being there, she thought it might have something to do with Kennosuke. She quickened her pace.

"Glad you can join us." The Captain greeted Yukina as she entered the meeting room. Olivia gave a small wave of her hand before adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"I know it's early, but we have a message for you." Olivia held up a piece of paper and handed it over once Yukina reached them at the table. Their expressions didn't reveal what the message contained about. She had a few questions already but decided reading the message might answer them.

 _Yukina,_

 _I have received word from Zelleager of their successful mission to save his home planet._

 _They have allied themselves with a formidable force and will continue their mission to seek out Efy Dolgh._

 _He has sent their headquarters coordinates, which I will forward to you, in the hopes of you reaching them in due time._

 _I have also sent them a message in reply of your status and to be expecting you._

 _Until then, take care of yourself._

 _Director Hiromi Shirahane_

What a huge relief it was to hear from her mother, but to hear that Kennosuke and the others were alive and well was even greater news. Even though her mother made no mention of him in the message she sent, she knew now without a doubt that he was alive.

"We can no longer receive or send live video messages for the sake of our safety. Your mother knew this and sent us this letter instead. It takes longer to receive untraceable messages, so this was most likely sent a couple months ago. Just in time, too." The Captain took the letter back and placed it carefully in his pocket. "We'll be able to make our last hyper jump to their location in two months, but we have a lot of preparations to do before we get there."

"Yes, sir!" Yukina felt like she was floating on air. She was dismissed then, and on the way back to her room all she could think about was how much Kennosuke would have changed over the years. She wagered not much, and hoped the news of her arrival was just as exciting news for him as it was for her.

* * *

 **January 2022 - Intergalactic Syndicate Headquarters**

Kennosuke, along with a man he recognized but didn't know who he was exactly, stood together at the end of what appeared to be an altar.

"You nervous?" The unknown man asked.

"What kind of question is that? He's getting married, the lucky dog!" Another man appeared and slapped Kennosuke hard on the back. "What I would give to marry this girl!"

"No woman in her right mind would want to marry you!" The man standing next to Kennosuke argued back.

But Kennosuke ignored their continued boisterous conversation and looked down the aisle to the closed double door. People littered the room, once again being faces he recognized but couldn't place names to. Music was playing softly in the background but all Kennosuke could focus on was that door. Who was behind it? Why couldn't he remember anything up until this moment?

Sweat started to form and he wiped helplessly at his brow. As he brought his hand down, he noticed they were shaking.

"It's called wedding jitters, everyone gets it!" Another slap on the back. So help him if his back received another slap...

Suddenly, the music changed and everyone was in their seats. A moment later the doors opened and a flood of girls came rushing through. But they weren't what he was looking for. He searched frantically as the girls all took their seats, one by one.

Kennosuke could hear the whispers of guests:

"She's so beautiful!"

"She was a sight to behold."

"This is such a momentous occasion!"

He listened halfheartedly as he tried to see whom they were talking about, noticing no one else entering the room. The double doors were still open and the room fell to a hush as footsteps echoed through the outside halls and into the room. This was it, he'd finally see who they were talking about. As the steps drew nearer, he noticed the doors began to close and he panicked.

 _No!_ He took off running down the aisle, hoping to stop the doors from closing. His ears began ringing from the sound of the footsteps and just as he reached the doors to keep them from closing, he saw _her._

Or rather, a glimpse. A figure with a shadowed face.

The doors slammed shut and Kennosuke banged his fists against the doors, letting out an angry cry...

Kennosuke sat up in bed, shouting.

Muetta came in then, as if on cue, and set aside the breakfast plate she held for him.

"Same dream?" Muetta went over to a washbin and dipped a dry towel in the cool water and wrung it out. She brought it over to a sweating Kennosuke, who seemed to be trying to catch his breath.

"Who is she?" Kennosuke accepted the cloth and laid back down, covering his eyes with the towel.

"You haven't seen her face?" The silence that followed after answered her question. "As frustrating as it is right now, it's best to not let it bother you."

"It's a damn wedding. It seems important.. or rather, _she_ is important."

"It's taken you months to slowly remember me and Zell. She will too."

"It's very vague, of what I remember about you two. The only thing I remember is Efy Dolgh, and to do everything in my power to stop them. People are just... fragments."

"Do you remember where you're from?" Muetta was warned to not ask him questions about what he remembers. The doctors said it may trigger something even deeper than just memories.

"Can we not have this conversation?" Kennosuke sounded defeated. Letting out a sigh, she set the tray next to his futon bed and left without a word.

Once she left, Kennosuke removed the towel from his eyes and pulled out an orange colored ribbon he kept under his pillow. Other than his sword, this was the only other item he possessed and he kept it a secret. The ribbon smelt feminine and he knew, without a doubt, that whoever this belonged to, was the same woman he was trying to see in his dream. _He just knew._

He also knew that she was someone important to him, but why wasn't she here with him now? No one seemed inclined to help him solve this mystery and it was driving him crazy. He held the ribbon against his chest now, and closed his eyes. He could only rely on his dream right now, and as aggravating as it was, it still gave him hope to answer the one question he wanted answered: _Who was she?_

* * *

 _Author's Note: Thank you so much to those who have loved this story, who are following this story, and especially to those who leave reviews! It makes my heart sing knowing a lot of you are enjoying the story so far. Sorry it's taken me several weeks to post updates, but fear not, updates are always coming! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and will be anticipating the next one...!  
RxB _


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